You’d think that NASCAR, as an organization that organizes an activity that is inherently dangerous, would have a strong culture of safety, a strong commitment to doing things in the safest manner possible, using the best practices available. Judging by a 2007 fatal crash involving one of NASCAR’s airplanes, you would also be quite wrong.
The basic facts are simple enough: Pilot reports a problem with a NASCAR owned and operated aircraft’s electrical system. The problem isn’t investigated before a different pilot takes the plane up the next day. An electrical fire develops; the aircraft crashes into two houses, killing both people on board plus three people on the ground. Those killed on the ground were a 24-year-old law student and her 6-month-old son and a 4-year-old in the house next door.
The National Transportation Safety Board placed the blame on NASCAR for operating the aircraft in violation of federal regulations. The safety agency found poor maintenance record keeping and that NASCAR, which operates a number of planes, didn’t have procedures in place to assure that reports of problems with its aircraft were actually addressed. A highlight from the AP story:
NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said NASCAR has worked with aviation industry experts ‘to improve our safety management systems so as to prevent an accident like this from occurring in the future.’
Working with experts on safety management systems to prevent accidents? Shouldn’t that be what NASCAR is constantly doing throughout its operations anyway?
