Embry-Riddle, Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority of the Bahamas Formalize Training Partnership to Enhance Aviation Safety
As part of its commitment to provide world-class aviation safety training globally, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety has partnered with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) of the Bahamas to serve as its official training partner.
The agreement leverages the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety’s expertise, as well as the university’s Professional Education Programs courses, to support the AAIA of the Bahamas in its critical mission of investigating aircraft accidents and developing safety recommendations.
The partnership includes Embry-Riddle collaborating with the agency on its efforts to further strengthen its compliance with the standards and recommended practices prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the aviation arm of the United Nations.
“Having a training plan is a critical ICAO requirement,” said Robert Sumwalt, executive director of the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety. “And we are pleased to partner with the outstanding team at the AAIA of the Bahamas to further enhance their professional development in implementing the highest safety protocols and practices.”
An independent federal agency, the AAIA of the Bahamas is responsible for investigating all aircraft accidents and serious incidents within the island nation’s airspace, as well as publishing reports and making safety recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences.
The AAIA of the Bahamas team presents a map to Sumwalt and Embry-Riddle President P. Barry Butler. The team includes (from left) Aviation Safety Analyst Symonne Cargil; Kendall Dorsett Jr., chief investigator of Air Accidents; and Captain Patrick Rolle, chairman of the AAIA of the Bahamas. (Photo: Embry-Riddle/Daryl Labello)
As part of the agreement, Embry-Riddle faculty will deliver professional education courses to the safety professionals at the AAIA of the Bahamas, as well as customize courses to fit the agency’s training needs. Additionally, the agency may have access to the state-of-the-art aviation safety equipment and labs at the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety.
“Since the establishment of the AAIA of the Bahamas on October 3rd, 2016, Embry-Riddle has met the organization’s dynamic training through its professional education programs,” said Kendall Dorsett Jr., chief investigator of Air Accidents at the AAIA of the Bahamas. “The execution of this memorandum of understanding was seen as a natural evolution to this existing relationship, where now the AAIA formally recognizes Embry-Riddle as its preferred training partner of choice to ensure that it continuously meets its training obligations in accordance with the standards and recommended practices of Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, which addresses aircraft accident and incident investigations.”
The partnership also provides Bahamian students enrolled at Embry-Riddle access to the university's extensive professional internship network. At the same time, Embry-Riddle students can gain valuable experience through internships with the safety professionals at the AAIA of the Bahamas.
“Aviation safety requires constant learning and improvement to address the latest challenges,” Sumwalt said. “The Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety at Embry-Riddle aims to help our global partners advance aviation safety, and we look forward to our future collaborations with the team at the AAIA to fulfill that mission.”