On October 14, 2004, a Pinnacle Airlines CRJ-200 was on a repositioning flight from Little Rock National Airport to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Both engines flamed out after a pilot-induced aerodynamic stall, crashing into a residential area south of Jefferson City, Missouri. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation found that the pilots intentionally deviated from standard flight operating procedures. The NTSB identified the air carrier as the party responsible for maintaining cockpit discipline and crew standard operating procedures. The NTSB has proposed a safety management system (SMS) to help air carriers meet this safety standard. The NTSB formally recommended that the FAA “require all 14 CFR part 121 operators to establish SMS programs” (O'Donnell, 2010). Initially, the NTSB did not formally recommend that the FAA require the same SMS mandate for certified airports. However, the FAA had determined that the same organizational factors apply to all regulated sectors of the aviation industry. Airports operate in environments similar to those of air carriers and business flight operators, where they adhere to standard operating procedures, proactively identify and mitigate hazards and risks, and ensure effective communications essential to safety operational. The FAA envisioned that SMS would provide an airport with an additional level of safety to help reduce the number of near misses, incidents and accidents. An SMS would also ensure that all levels of airport management understand the safety implications of operations at the aerodrome (O'Donnell, 2010). An SMS is a formalized approach to managing organizational safety by developing policy based on formal methods of identifying hazards, analyzing and mitigating risks, developing...... middle of paper ..... . text to reality. Jane's Airport Review, 24(8), 22-24. Lu, C.-t., Schreckengast, SW and Jia, J. (2011). Security Risk Management, Assurance and Promotion: A Risk Management System for Budget-Constrained Airports. Journal of Aeronautical Technology and Engineering, 1(1), 2-10. doi:10.5703/1288284314630 O'Donnell, M. J. (2010). Safety management systems for certified airports. Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Airport Safety and Standards. Washington, DC: Federal Register. Oswald, C. (July 5, 2011). Comments, proposed rule regarding safety management systems for certified airports, file no. FAA-2010-0997. Retrieved from Airports Council International - North America: http://www.aci-na.org/static/files/ACINACommentsDocketFAA20100997.pdf Thompson-Duarte, S. (February 20, 2014). Director of Operations, Sacramento International Airport. (D. Duarte, interviewer)