Incidents involving aircraft movements and towing had the greatest number of negative outcomes, according to Nimbl.
Business aviation operators are increasingly adopting safety management practices, according to operations and safety manuals provider Nimbl.
Rockville, Maryland-based Nimbl in June released the first of what will be an annual safety report based on reports submitted to its safety management system (SMS) platform. In its inaugural report, the company says it saw a 40% increase in operators adopting safety management practices last year compared to 2023.
Under a final rule it published in April 2024, the FAA requires Part 135 charter and Part 91.147 air tour operators to implement SMS programs to identify, monitor and address potential operational hazards by May 2027. The rule applies to 1,850 Part 135 operators and more than 700 air tour providers.
Nimbl’s 2025 Annual Safety Report crunches business aviation safety data from last year, basing its analysis on four stages of SMS reporting—the initial submission, root-cause analysis, implementation of mitigations and review for effectiveness. The report covers procedures, aircraft systems, facilities, aircraft movements, ground handling and towing and other categories.
More than half of safety incidents occurred during approach (29%) and ground operations (25%), according to Nimbl. More than half (55%) related to operational issues, including improper use of procedures, accidental and purposeful non-compliance with procedures, a lack of appropriate procedures, and issues outside of the operator’s control.
Procedure-related issues led all other event types in terms of incidents by category (37%), followed by incidents involving aircraft systems (15%) and facilities and environment (15%). Although aircraft movements and towing ranked fifth among incidents reported, they had the greatest number of negative outcomes, i.e., damage to the aircraft, making this the most expensive of incident types, Nimbl says.
“Safety reporting isn’t just about checking a box,” said Nimbl CEO Mark Baier. “It’s about creating a culture where operators learn from these types of observations so they can make smarter decisions as a result. This report shows that even small changes in how we capture and respond to risk can have a lasting impact on operational safety.”
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