Air Mekong utilizes a Continuous Analysis and Surveillance System (CASS) to establish and maintain oversight of its maintenance programs. The CASS includes continuing surveillance and analysis of inspection programs, as well as corrective actions for any deficiencies. Key aspects of the CASS include audits of processes using checklists, a database to track audit results and corrective actions, and a CASS Representative program to gather front-line maintenance feedback. Auditors develop audits by analyzing regulatory requirements, company policies and procedures to evaluate compliance. Interview techniques are used during audits to verify records and adherence to processes. Audit findings and trends are reported monthly.

1. CASS REPRESENTATIVE – QA AUDITOR
TRAINING

2. GMM 3‐4
CONTINUOUS ANALYSIS
AND SURVEILLANCE
SYSTEM

3. CASS GMM 3‐4.2 SCOPE
To establish and maintain a system for the continuing
analysis and surveillance of the performance and
effectiveness of Air Mekong’s inspection program and
programs covering other maintenance, preventive
maintenance, and alterations.

4. Inspection and Maintenance
Program
The program includes the Bombardier MIP
as well as the policies and procedures in the GMM
used for compliance with the VARs

5. CASS GMM 3‐4.2 SCOPE
AND for the correction of any deficiency in those
programs, regardless of whether those programs are
carried out by Air Mekong or by another person.

6. Definitions
Quality Assurance and CASS Language

7. Continuing Surveillance
Continuing Surveillance means someone is always
looking and collecting information

8. Continuing Analysis
means someone is always analyzing the information
that is always being collected

9. Correction
An action designed to eliminate or mitigate a
deficiency identified within the maintenance program
elements

10. Deficiency
is something missing from the air carrier maintenance
program that should be there,
or it is something there but not producing the desired
results.

11. Effectiveness
The maintenance program is producing the desired
results, i.e., airworthy aircraft, competent personnel,
and adequate facilities.

12. Maintenance
Inspection, overhaul, repair, preservation, and the
replacement of parts, excluding preventive
maintenance

13. Responsibility
The obligation to ensure a task or function is successfully
carried out.
Responsibility includes accounting for actions related to
the task or function. This is a key attribute of
operational control.

14. Risk
Risk is the degree of probability hurt, injury, or loss will
occur over a specific period of time or number of
operational cycles.
Risk has two elements, severity and likelihood

15. Severity
Severity is the harm that will be inflicted if an unsafe
event happens

16. Likelihood
Likelihood is a qualitative expression of the probability a
specific unsafe event will occur.

17. Manager ‐ Quality Assurance or his
Designee
Manager ‐ Quality Assurance, or designee, is responsible
for the following:

18. Responsibilities
Evaluating and analyzing audits and operations data
input into the CASS Database on a day‐to‐day, long
term and emergency basis.

19. Responsibilities
Entering audit and operations data into the CASS
database

20. CASS DATA BASE GMM 3‐5.7
The database system consists of multiple databases
maintained by CASS and QA. These databases may be
located on the company intranet or through licensing
agreements with third parties through the internet.
The information contained on these databases is solely
controlled by Air Mekong CASS and QA. Contents
include, but are not limited to:
• Audit Checklists
• Audit Schedules
• Approved Vendor Listing
• Audit Program Database

21. CASS DATABASE GMM 3‐5.7
The information contained in the database is
controlled and is available to all members of CASS and
QA, the ability to change the information is controlled
by the Manager – Assurance or designee.
The information contained in the database and
printouts of checklists are made available to the CAAV
or other agencies with a valid requirement, upon
request.

22. Other Responsibilities
Monitoring and tracking CASS activities.

23. CASS Data Base
Audit performance
Finding tracker
Corrective Action effectiveness
Follow Up audits
Personnel assessment
Occurrence reports
Repetitive defects
High failure rate components
DMI Extension ‐ Concessions

24. Responsibilities
Administers the CASS Rep Program

25. Responsibilities
Reporting CASS Findings and Events in the SMS IR
Database

26. ANY
QUESTIONS?????
??

27. Incident Reporter Database

28. IR Database Entries

29. IR Database Entries ‐ NEW
ERROR
CONCERN
HAZARD
Quality
Safety
EVENT
SUMMARY

30. IR Database ‐ Details
DETAIL
ACTION
TAKEN

31. Data Base Entries ‐ Assign
Drop
down
box
Assign
Manager

32. Assigned Manager
Will receive Email to open IR with report number.

33. Air Mekong's CASS
a continuous, system safety based, closed‐loop cycle of
surveillance, investigation, data collection, analysis,
Action Taken, monitoring, and feedback used to
continually monitor and correct any deficiencies in Air
Mekong’s maintenance and

34. Air Mekong's CASS
inspection programs accomplishment and approval of
maintenance, including:
Inspection items
Airworthiness responsibility
The CASS program
Contract maintenance
Manual publication system
Maintenance organization

35. Air Mekong's CASS
The maintenance record keeping system
Reliability data
Personnel training
Scheduled maintenance
Aircraft, engine, propellers, and appliance repair and
overhaul
RII procedures
Vendor facilities and capabilities

36. ANY QUESTIONS?

37. The CASS Representative (CASS
Rep) Program
Gives front line Air Mekong Maintenance team
members a means to provide direct feedback on issues
that affect their ability to perform their job.

38. The CASS Representative (CASS
Rep) Program
The primary goal is reducing systemic issues effecting
Maintenance system‐wide, before they become a larger
problem.

39. The CASS Representative (CASS
Rep) Program
The input given is reviewed for acceptance into the
program, and those items accepted are tracked by the
Manager ‐ Quality Assurance and evaluated to
determine a course of action to address the issue.

40. The CASS Representative (CASS
Rep) Program
Once the item has been resolved the Manager ‐ Quality
Assurance will follow‐up with the originator to ensure
they are aware of the actions that took place.

41. Monthly CASS Report
The Manager ‐ Quality Assurance publishes
active issues, with status, in the Monthly CASS Report

42. Air Mekong Monthly CASS Report
APR 10, 2011

43. Distribution
CAAV Ho Minh Tan
CAAV Mai Manh Hung
Vice President of Maintenance Gaylon Campbell
Director of Maintenance Steve Banks
Director of Quality and Safety Le Ngoc Lam
Director of Corporate, Safety/Security Jeronimo Chieccio
Manager of QA Richard Brown
Manager of Spares Bobby Maulding
Fleet Manager Brian Arett
Records Mary Maulding
MCC Dennis Mollenhour
Ha Noi Sup Bobby Maulding

44. CASS Report Table of Contents
The data contained in this report reflects monthly
information from Feb 11, 2011 – Mar 10, 2011
•Distribution
•Open CAAV Issues
•Operational Data
•Reliability Data
•Audit Program Data
•Open CASS Investigation Information
•Open CASS Representative Program
Information
•Open CASS Initiatives
•MEDA Investigations
•Trending/Analysis (Quarterly)

45. Open CASS Rep Program Info
None

46. Monthly CASS Report – Results of
Audits of Processes.
This process is audited per GMM 3‐5. The results of
the audit are input into the CASS database for analysis
and used to evaluate the process for COMPLIANCE
TO THE REGULATIONS AND COMPANY POLICY.
Trend analysis is accomplished to determine if
NEGATIVE TRENDS have an affect on other areas of
the operation. Individual negative results are analyzed
and used to develop process improvements.

47. CASS Representative
Every maintenance station/base should have at least one
individual that has been trained on the CASS Rep
Program and is willing to assist the Manager ‐ Quality
Assurance with gathering information at that station.

48. CASS Representative
Items can be given to that CASS Representative and they
will forward it to the Manager ‐ Quality Assurance.

49. CASS Representative
The CASS Representative is a QA Auditor trained in the
CASS Rep Program may be assigned to Maintenance
locations

50. ANY QUESTIONS???????
ACCEPTABLE MAINTENANCE PRACTICE?

51. Standard Operating Procedure
4003 Quality Assurance (QA)
Provides instructions and procedures for Quality
Assurance (QA) related inquires and assessments of
events, processes and/or programs.

52. Standard Operating Procedure
4003 Quality Assurance (QA)
Air Mekong utilizes auditors to gather data for the CASS
program (GMM 3‐4) from the Maintenance Bases/Line
Stations, Shops, and Maintenance and Service
Providers

53. Gathering Data – How do wo do
that?
AUDIT CHECKLISTS
The Audit Requirement Master is an Excel spread sheet
blank used for building audit requirements using
regulatory material, Air Mekong policies and
procedures or other standards and specifications.
Audit Requirement Master, M‐430

54. AUDIT REQUIREMENT MASTER M‐430

55. Developing an Audit
Not an Inspection of pieces and parts but an analysis
using the elements of a:
Standard
Specification
Procedure
Process

56. Developing an Audit
GMM 3‐19.6.C. Technical Records Security: Current
records are stored and maintained in the office of
Technical Records Department. Historical records are
kept in a storage box by aircraft tail number at a
designated secure storage area. The office of Technical
Records is open only when business is being
conducted. During non‐business hours, the Technical
Records filing room is secured and locked. In the event
an aircraft record is reported as a transaction error; a
copy of the document is sent for correction and the
original resides in the appropriate file until the
corrected paperwork is received.

57. Developing an Audit
1. Current records are stored and maintained in the
office of Technical Records Department.
2. Historical records are kept in a storage box by aircraft
tail number at a designated secure storage area.
3. The office of Technical Records is open only when
business is being conducted.
4. During non‐business hours, the Technical Records
filing room is secured and locked.
5. In the event an aircraft record is reported as a
transaction error; a copy of the document is sent for
correction and the original resides in the appropriate
file until the corrected paperwork is received.

58. M‐430 Development
GMM
Reference
GMM Text
element
COMPLIANCE
Finding
Audit Finding
Report Number
and Notes

59. IS THERE A RECORD OF IT?

60. Questions to answer
WHO
WHAT
WHY
WHEN
WHERE
and: IS THERE A RECORD OF IT?

61. Interviewing ‐ Questions
Show me the record for Work Order…………………….
Where is the CMM for …………..?
Do you have the gauge called out in ……………………….?
Do you have the 8130 for…………………………?
Did you use this torque wrench? Show me?
Did you ops check the system? Where is the sign off?

62. Interviewing – The Answers
Any answer "no" to a
required step is a
FINDING.

63. Interviewing – The Answers
Any incomplete record is a
FINDING.

64. Interviewing – The Answers
Any failure to follow the
process, procedure, use
the required
documentation, etc. is a
FINDING

65. Interviewing – The Answers
Any element of a procedure
or process that is vague and
allows for a performance
error, a step that can not be
confirmed to be completed,
is also a FINDING

66. ROOT CAUSE
Finding the Finding is easy.
Finding the Why takes
more time.

67. ANY QUESTIONS?????????

68. ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS
Why do people do what they do?
We are not done until
we find the real reason
why?

69. INVESTIGATION
Usually the problem is
innocent and in the
process or the controls.

70. OUTBRIEF MANAGER
1. Discuss findings with Manager
2. Make an effort to agree on
which items are findings
3. QA findings in dispute should
be referred to QA Manager.

71. On‐The‐Spot Corrective Actions
On the spot corrective actions
are still findings and must be
reported.
On The Spot corrective actions
shall be identified as such and
put in the QA Finding Tracker
as CLOSED.

72. Audit Finding Reports M‐415
Complete M‐415s for each individual finding

73. Audit Finding Report
Location, Function Date,
Sequence
Data, Specification, GMM and/or
Audit Req Reference.
Finding – from Audit Form
Auditor or CASS Rep

74. REPORTING
Scan and email everything to
QA Manager or QA Auditor
Miss Men

75. QA Audit Tracking Tool ‐ Finding

76. QA Audit Tracking Tool ‐ CA

77. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS
Corrective actions are developed by the responsible
manager.
Time limited.
Should address the root cause.
Be effective.

78. Corrective Actions
Added to the Finding Tracking Tool
Schedule follow up
Close

79. Follow up audits
Scheduled
Identified as F/U on Audit Master, same number as
Finding Report
Needed for full closure, sign on the bottom
Inspections of Opportunity

80. Record Keeping
QA Audit Record Binder

81. Questions

82. THE END