- If I am an operator, how will I be informed of the discrepancies found in the Rampa SAFA/SACA Inspectorate?
The operator or contact person will receive notification via email about the opening of the file. The subsequent management of the file requires registration in the database created and maintained for this purpose by EASA.
The SAFA/SACA files are communicated from the EASA database, in accordance with the requirement set out in Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, ARO.RAMP.145.
- Which operators are further inspected?
The objectives are determined using a simple algorithm that takes into account the company’s situation from different sources of information and its number of operations during the preceding period. Moreover, since it is a programme coordinated by EASA, in the case of non-Spanish operators, account is also taken of the number of operations in other territories and the possibility of being inspected by different states.
- Which operators are inspected, only Spanish Operators?
Any aircraft taking off or landing at a Spanish airport/airfield, regardless of nationality, aircraft type or type of operation, may be inspected by AESA, directly or through public bodies or state-owned commercial companies, which have the status of their own instrumental means and technical service of the General State Administration and its bodies and bodies governed by public law, which are entrusted with carrying out the physical actions of the aeronautical inspection of a technical or specialised nature, in accordance with Article 3. Scope of the Aeronautical Inspection Regulation (RIA), Royal Decree 98/2009.
The difference between one type or another of ramp inspection lies in the type of regulation that applies to the inspection. Therefore, in the case of aircraft of an operator or private individual registered in the Spanish Register of Registration or not registered but carrying out a commercial activity, an SANA inspection is carried out with its applicable regulations (see question 2). For aircraft of non-EU operators or individuals, i.e. third countries outside the EU, it will be an SAFA inspection and for aircraft belonging to Community operators/particulars with non-Spanish registration will be an SACA inspection. In the case of SANA inspections, you can consult the applicable regulations in the corresponding FAQ.
- Who is informed of the outcome of the inspection?
Ramp inspection results are recorded by the Inspection Test Inspection Team (POI). The usual practice is that the Commander/Pilot of the newly inspected aircraft command, or the representative of the designated carrier, be informed of the results in the event that the flight crew has been allowed to leave the aircraft, giving him a copy of the POI.
Subsequently, with the upload of the file in the centralised EASA database, the operator or the inspected individual will be formally informed of the conduct of the inspection and of the results of the inspection.
In addition, the results of categories 2 and 3 are communicated to the Aeronautical Authority responsible for the safety oversight of the aircraft or its Operator for information and to the Operator, with the request that it take appropriate measures to avoid recurrence.
In order to achieve the objectives of the EU Rampa Inspection Programme in the best possible way, close cooperation with the Aviation Authorities of all States whose operators and aircraft have been subject to ramp inspections is essential. As part of their responsibility for the safety oversight of their national operators in accordance with relevant international safety standards, these Aviation Authorities are requested to ensure the proper implementation of corrective measures in order to address reported discrepancies.
- How Commander/Pilot to Command can I refuse to conduct the Inspectorate?
The operator/individual is obliged to cooperate and facilitate the inspection tasks, and in particular for the Rampa Inspectorate, in accordance with the European regulations laid down in Article ORO.GEN.140 of Regulation (EU) No 965/2012.
Therefore, in general, the inspection may not be refused except in exceptional circumstances or for reasons which are sufficiently justified and justified by the inspected person and which the inspectors consider and consider as such.
In the absence of such causes, this shall be deemed to be an obstruction of the inspection work, in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, ORO.GEN.140, Regulation (EU) No 452/2014, as developed in EASA’s Rampa Inspection Manual (RIM), Chapter 5, in the SAFA/SACA Inspections cases, with the corresponding consequences for the inspected person.
- How can an Operator manage its SAFA/SACA files with AESA?
All management is done telematically through the EASA database. The operator or owner of the aircraft must be registered in the system and contact persons will be established who will receive the notifications in their email to access the management of their files, as explained and reflected in question 19.
- How are discrepancies and findings detected during the Rampa inspection categorised?
Non-compliances detected during a ramp inspection are called findings or findings. The absolute number of inspection findings represents an important result of the inspection process that provides valuable information about the aircraft concerned or its responsible operator. On the other hand, this should be carefully taken into account in relation to the “severity” of the findings. To that end, three categories of findings or findings have been defined as indicated in Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, ARO.RAMP.130:
finding “Category 1”: it is referred to as minor finding, and includes any non-compliance with applicable requirements or the terms of a certificate that does not have a significant impact on safety;
B) Finding “Category 2”: is a significant finding, covering any non-compliance with applicable requirements or the terms of a certificate that has a significant impact on safety, and (
c) Finding “Category 3”: a major finding, in this case any significant non-compliance with the applicable requirements or the terms of a certificate that has a significant impact on safety.The terms “minor”, “significant” and “greater” refer to the level of influence on security. The main purpose of the categorisation of findings is to classify compliance with a standard and the severity of non-compliance with this standard.
Inspections and categories of findings are recorded in EASA’s centralised database for SAFA and SACA inspections.
When considering the findings established during a ramp inspection, Category 2 (significant) and Category 3 (important) findings require the greatest attention when it comes to the need for rectification.
- How do the Inspectors at Rampa identify?
In addition to receiving an appointment as a ramp inspector who authorises them as qualified personnel to carry out such inspections, all ramp inspectors must be accredited during the physical inspection, for which they must carry the corresponding Inspector’s Card and the action order issued by AESA, in accordance with Article 11 and Article 12 of Royal Decree 98/2009 of 6 February 2009 approving the Aeronautical Inspection Regulation. Such documents are sufficient for proper identification, and other identification documents (e.g. ID card, etc.) are not required by the inspector, but they may be shown as courtesy at the request of the inspected person.
- How are inspections carried out in Rampa?
Authorised inspectors use a checklist with 53 points to be inspected during ramp inspections, divided into four (4) Categories:
a) Flight cabin,
b) Safety elements/passenger cabin,
c) Status of aircraft,
d) Cargo, and
e) General aspectsThe checks carried out in each of these categories include (without being an exhaustive list) the documentation of the aircraft which the operator is required to carry on board in accordance with the applicable regulations, the procedures, technical manuals and release documentation that are kept in the cockpit and which the flight crew and cabin crew are required to comply with, pilot licences, security equipment in the cockpit and cabin, the general condition of the hold, the cargo being carried on the aircraft and its associated documentation and the general external condition of the aircraft.
As the time between arrival and departure (stop time) may not be enough to review the complete checklist, all 53 points may not be inspected. The policy of the Rampa Inspection Program is not to interfere with the operator’s normal operation by avoiding delays except for safety reasons, as set out in Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, ARO.RAMP.125, as well as to avoid, as far as possible, contact with the existing passage.
- What is the number of inspections carried out in Spain and their relation to the total carried out in Europe?
Although the targets are regularly reviewed, approximately 1200 inspections of foreign aircraft and about 450 inspections of domestic aircraft have been carried out at present and in normal situations, although the number of inspections may vary greatly and depends on the resources the authority may devote to such inspection.
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