Engineering Commons^™

Modeling Land And Hold Short Operations: Balancing Safety And Arrival Rate, Kenneth A. Ward, Heather Owen-Perry

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Many airports conduct simultaneous operations on intersecting runways to increase the rate of takeoffs and landings. This requires landing aircraft to hold short of the intersecting runway, which incurs a safety risk of runway incursions in the process. A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to analyze the traffic load at maximum operational capacity at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in order to analyze the fleet types and the rate of those landing aircraft unable to stop short of the intersecting runway. The researchers used the actual and four alternative compositions of the subject airline’s aircraft arrivals, interspersed among other airport traffic, to …

Factorial Validity Of The Flight Risk Assessment Tool In General Aviation Operations, Chenyu Huang, Allen Xie, Flavio A.C. Mendonca

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) was developed and is recommended by the Federal Aviation Administration to provide a solution of proactively identifying and mitigating risk before each flight. General aviation (GA) operators are encouraged to adapt the FRAT based upon specific operational characteristics. Currently, most safety management systems-compliant GA operators have implemented various versions of FRATs with different operational purposes. However, the FRAT could be inappropriately implemented because of the dynamic operational features of GA operations. The purpose of this study is to explore insights into potential approaches to validate the FRAT that is used for flight risk assessment …

Does The Use Of Simulation Significantly Impact Students’ Perceptions Of Their Air Traffic Control Knowledge And Skill?, Meron Lindenfeld, Jeanne Radigan, Michael Figuccio

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Simulation has served as an instructional supplement in education and training within various fields such as nursing, business, and flight training. Prior research studies have documented its usefulness. Simulation-based lessons have also been used for air traffic control (ATC) training, but little research has been conducted on the usefulness of simulation in this application. This study measured the level of influence that ATC simulation had on students’ perception of their ATC knowledge and skill level and their commitment to a career in ATC.

Data were collected by surveying students at four institutions of higher education after they completed ATC courses …

Pilot Source Study 2018: Five Years After The Foq Rule—New-Hire First Officer Backgrounds And Their Performance In Us Regional Airline Training, Guy M. Smith, Maryjo O. Smith, Troy E. Techau, Michelle P. Hight

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

After the Pilot Source Study (PSS) 2015 was published, there was concern that the data were collected too soon after the First Officer Qualification Rule compliance date. The Collaborative Research Committee of the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) voted to undertake the PSS 2018 to determine whether the results of the PSS 2015 were still valid. In fall 2018, five research teams collected 9,776 pilot records from five regional airlines and analyzed these data. In the PSS 2018, the criteria for success were: ≥90% completions and ≤1 extra training event. In rank order, the following pilots were most successful in …

Empirical Analysis Of Trends In Runway Incursions In The United States From 2001 To 2017, David C. Ison

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Runway incursions, events in which an aircraft, vehicle, or person is located on a runway surface without authorization, continue to be a constant threat to aviation safety. Previously identified on the ‘‘Most Wanted’’ list of aviation safety issues by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has spent significant amounts of money and effort to address runway incursions. Little empirical evidence has been collected on the effectiveness of such efforts. Moreover, the data that are available provide a confusing landscape of contradicting findings. Some FAA publications claim that runway incursions are decreasing while the evidence provided in …

Pilot Study: Measuring Attitudes Toward Ramp Resource Management—The Influence Of National Culture, Nadine G. Muecklich, Hans-Joachim K. Ruff-Stahl, Ivan Sikora

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Ramp resource management (RRM) is a highly flight-safety-relevant, but to date widely overlooked, part of the air transportation system. Organizational, national, professional, and safety cultures play an important role in setting up resource management and training. This pilot study evaluates the influence of national culture on attitudes toward RRM, based on Geert Hofstede’s Values Survey Module. A slightly adapted version of this survey module was distributed to ramp personnel in Germany and national cultural indices were generated. A one-way analysis of variance revealed that, while some influence of national culture in RRM could be concluded, the majority of the results …

Evaluating Small Uas Operations And National Airspace System Interference Using Aeroscope, Ryan J. Wallace, Kristy M. Kiernan, Tom Haritos, John Robbins, Jon M. Loffi

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

A recent rash of near mid-air collisions coupled with the widespread proliferation of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) raise concerns that integration is posing additional risk to the National Airspace System. In 2016, sUAS sighting reports by manned aircraft pilots averaged 147 per month. In the first three quarters of 2017, sUAS sightings jumped to 188 per month. The purpose of this study was to evaluate sUAS operator behavior to determine potential interference with aviation operations. While previous research has indeed yielded findings about operator behavior, such studies were generally based on data derived from Aviation Safety Reporting System filings …

Collaborative Product–Service Approach To Aviation Maintenance, Repair, And Overhaul. Part Ii: Numerical Investigations, Cassio Dias Goncalves, Michael Kokkolaras

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

This two-part paper proposes a new collaborative approach to airframe maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO). A quantitative model is introduced in Part I to represent the business relationships between original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and MRO enterprises. In Part II, the presented model is used to assess potential financial benefits obtained by each of these stakeholders as a result of the collaboration.

The quantitative model is built to capture the main dependencies between an independent MRO operating in South America and its interactions with three major airframe OEMs. Interviews were conducted with MRO and OEM professionals to identify the most impactful …

General Aviation Hypoxia And Reporting Statistics, Timothy Holt, Jacqueline Luedtke, Jennah Perry, Michelle Hight, Claire Schindler, Pamela Ward

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Hypoxia is defined as a lack of oxygen throughout the body, which can be caused by several factors at any altitude. General aviation (GA) pilots may argue that most GA aircraft cannot attain the required altitudes where one might be more affected by hypoxia, but it is exactly that attitude that may makes pilots more susceptible to hypoxia. The impact of this hazardous attitude is even more apparent if one considers that out of the 590,038 certificated pilots in the USA, a little over 30% of them are GA pilots (FAA, 2015). The problem is that unlike airline pilots or …

Operating Different Displays In Military Fast Jets Using Eye Gaze Tracker, Jeevitha Shree Dv, L. R. D. Murthy, Kamalpreet Singh Saluja, Pradipta Biswas

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

This paper investigated the use of an eye-gaze-controlled interface in a military aviation environment. We set up a flight simulator and used the gaze-controlled interface in three different configurations of displays (head down, head up, and head mounted) for military fast jets. Our studies found that the gaze-controlled interface statistically significantly increased the speed of interaction for secondary mission control tasks compared to touchscreen- and joystick-based target designation system. Finally, we tested a gaze-controlled system inside an aircraft both on the ground and in different phases of flight with military pilots. Results showed that they could undertake representative pointing and …

Collaborative Product–Service Approach To Aviation Maintenance, Repair, And Overhaul. Part I: Quantitative Model, Cassio Dias Goncalves, Michael Kokkolaras

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

This two-part paper proposes a new collaborative approach to airframe maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO). A quantitative model is introduced in Part I to represent the business relationships between original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and MRO enterprises. In Part II, the presented model is used to assess potential financial benefits obtained by each of these stakeholders as a result of the collaboration.

The quantitative model is built to capture the main dependencies between an independent MRO enterprise operating in South America and its interactions with three major airframe OEMs. Interviews were conducted with MRO and OEM professionals to identify the most …

Assessment Of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems Operations In The National Airspace System, Kabir O. Kasim

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The operation of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) in the National Airspace System requires a careful consideration of the operating philosophies to ensure a safe outcome for all users. Small UAS operations are explored while the associated risks and benefits from the operations are reviewed. The operation of sUAS in self-separation airspace is discussed by an examination of the concept of autonomous flight rules (AFR). This includes a presentation of the basic principles of AFR and an explanation of the requirement for a sense-and-avoid system. Current and future uses of sUAS are presented to highlight the benefits from their use. …

Pilot Visual Detection Of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Suas) Equipped With Strobe Lighting, Ryan J. Wallace, Jon M. Loffi, Samuel M. Vance, Jamey Jacob, Jared C. Dunlap, Taylor A. Mitchell

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

When operating under Visual Flight Rules, pilots primarily rely on visual scanning to avoid other aircraft and airborne collision threats. Records from the Federal Aviation Administration indicate that near encounters with unmanned aircraft are on the rise, reaching 1,761 reported unmanned aircraft system (UAS) sightings or near-misses in 2016. This study sought to assess the effectiveness of pilot visual detection of UAS platforms that were equipped with strobe lighting. A sample of 10 pilots flew a general aviation aircraft on a scripted series of five intercepts with a small UAS (sUAS) that was equipped with strobe lighting. Participants were asked …

Enhanced, Risk-Based Faa Oversight On Part 145 Maintenance Practices: A Qualitative Study, Bryan G. Sheehan, Timm J. Bliss, Chad L. Depperschmidt

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the phenomenon of enhanced, risk-based Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversight of Part 145 repair stations in Oklahoma that performed aircraft maintenance for Part 121 air carriers. Specifically, this research was utilized to explore the lived (personal) experiences of Part 145 repair station managers concerning operational changes in air carrier maintenance practices. The researchers’ intent was not to examine the effectiveness of changes implemented by the FAA; instead, to explore how management has experienced the enhanced changes in their Oklahoma-based Part 145 repair stations. Forty-two percent of the participants indicated a weak …

Safety Climate Of Ab-Initio Flying Training Organizations: The Case Of An Australian Tertiary (Collegiate) Aviation Program, Yi Gao, Natalia Rajendran

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

A healthy safety culture is essential to the safe operation of any aviation organization, including flight schools. This study aimed to assess the safety climate of an Australian tertiary (collegiate) aviation program using a self-constructed instrument. Factor analysis of the instrument identified four safety themes, which are Safety Reporting Culture, Safety Reporting Procedure, Organizational Culture and Practice, and General Safety Knowledge. The responses of student pilots suggested that the overall safety climate of the subject flight training academy was healthy at the time of the survey. Further analyses found that perceptions of students of different year groups on Reporting Culture …

Vfr-Into-Imc Accident Trends: Perceptions Of Deficiencies In Training, Wesley L. Major, Thomas Carney, Julius Keller, Allen Xie, Matt Price, John Duncan, Lori Brown, Geoffrey R. Whitehurst, William G. Rantz, Dominic Nicolai, Beth M. Beaudin-Seiler

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Pilots who operate under visual flight rules (VFR) and in visual meteorological conditions, who then continue flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), remain as one of the leading causes of fatal aircraft accidents in general aviation. This paper examines past and current research initiatives, in seeking to identify causal factors and gaps in training that lead to VFR-into-IMC aircraft accidents, using a mixed methods approach. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute database and the National Transportation Safety Board database search engines were used to identify accident reports associated with VFR flight into IMC/deteriorating weather conditions for a …

Assessing The Benefits Of Performance-Based Navigation Procedures, Kabir O. Kasim

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Performance-based Navigation (PBN) allows aviation operations to be conducted based on actual operational requirements rather than the requirements of ground-based equipment. Although the general operational benefits of PBN procedures have been recognized by various studies, there is a need to specify the actual benefits in terms of the frequency of event anomalies that could be expected from the use of PBN procedures. The study reviewed some of the available literature and identified some operational improvements as reported by previous authors. The study then proceeded to review archival data from the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) database with a view to …

Design Of Dc-Link Vscf Ac Electrical Power System For The Embraer 190/195 Aircraft, Eduardo Francis Carvalho Freitas, Nihad E. Daidzic

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

A proposed novel DC-Link VSCF AC-DC-AC electrical power system converter for Embraer 190/195 transport category airplane is presented. The proposed converter could replace the existing conventional system based on the CSCF IDGs. Several contemporary production airplanes already have VSCF as a major or backup source of electrical power. Problems existed with the older VSCF systems in the past; however, the switched power electronics and digital controllers have matured and can be now, in our opinion, safely integrated and replace existing constant-speed hydraulic transmissions powering CSCF AC generators. IGBT power transistors for medium-level power conversion and relatively fast efficient switching are …

Vfr-Into-Imc: An Analysis Of Two Training Protocols On Weather-Related Posttest Scores, Julius C. Keller, Thomas Carney, Allen Xie, Wesley Major, Matt Price

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

According to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute, 264 accidents were identified as continued visual flight rules (VFR) into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), during the past ten years. Approximately 89% of those VFR-into-IMC accidents were fatal, causing hundreds of deaths. VFR-into-IMC has been a major concern for the general aviation community, prompting focused efforts. Research, data analyses, outreach, training, and education are recommended practices to address risks associated with VFR-into-IMC. Researchers of the current study sought to evaluate the cause and effect relationship between two training protocols and weather-related posttest scores. A pretest–posttest experimental design was utilized …

Hybrid Buoyant Aircraft: Future Stol Aircraft For Interconnectivity Of The Malaysian Islands, Anwar Ul Haque, Waqar Asrar, Ashraf Ali Omar, Erwin Sulaeman, Jaffar Syed Mohamed Ali

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Hybrid buoyant aircraft are new to the arena of air travel. They have the potential to boost the industry by leveraging new emerging lighter-than-air (LTA) and heavier-than-air (HTA) technologies. Hybrid buoyant aircraft are possible substitutes for jet and turbo-propeller aircraft currently utilized in aviation, and this manuscript is a country-specific (Malaysia) analysis to determine their potential market, assessing the tourism, business, agricultural, and airport transfer needs of such vehicles. A political, economic, social, and technological factors (PEST) analysis was also conducted to determine the impact of PEST parameters on the development of buoyant aircraft and to assess all existing problems …

Pilot Source Study 2015: A Comparison Of Performance At Part 121 Regional Airlines Between Pilots Hired Before The U.S. Congress Passed Public Law 111-216 And Pilots Hired After The Law’S Effective Date, Maryjo O. Smith, Guy M. Smith, Elizabeth Bjerke, Cody Christensen, Thomas Q. Carney, Paul A. Craig, Mary Niemczyk

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

This article is the third in a series of reports called Pilot Source Study 2015. In 2010, when the U.S. Congress considered dramatic changes to airline pilot qualifications, researchers from the ‘‘Pilot Source Study 2010’’ sampled pilots from six regional airlines to investigate how pilots’ backgrounds affected their performance in airline training. In 2012, when the FAA proposed rulemaking to implement Public Law 111-216, the ‘‘Pilot Source Study 2012’’ researchers repeated the study with a new sample of pilots from seven different regional airlines. Data from these two studies were combined into a Pre-Law dataset. On August 1, 2013, the …

A Safety Management Model For Far 141 Approved Flight Schools, Flavio A. C. Mendonca, Thomas Q. Carney

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The Safety Management Annex (Annex 19), which became applicable in November 2013, consolidates safety management provisions previously contained in six other International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annexes, and will serve as a resource for overarching state safety management responsibilities. Through Annex 19, ICAO has required that its member states develop and implement safety management systems (SMS) to improve safety. This mandate includes an approved training organization that is exposed to aviation safety risks. In 2015, the FAA published AC 120-92B to provide guidance material for certificate holders operating under FAR 121, to implement and maintain an SMS. This AC may …

A Comparison Of Malfunction-Related Accidents For General Aviation Aircraft Manufactured In 1970–1984 And 2000–2014, Douglas Boyd, Jochen Hinkelbein

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The United States general aviation fleet is aging with aircraft manufactured 35–39 years ago representing the most prevalent group. Since older aircraft are more prone to airframe corrosion, fatigue, and brittle electrical wiring, the present study was undertaken to determine whether malfunction-related accidents for general aviation aircraft manufactured between 1970 and 1984 were elevated relative to airplanes produced more recently (2000–2014).

The NTSB aviation accident database was used to identify piston-powered airplane accidents occurring over the 2005–2014 period. Aircraft manufacture year and fleet activity data were from the FAA. Statistical analyses employed contingency tables and Poisson distributions.

The proportion of …

Modeling And Computation Of The Maximum Braking Energy Speed For Transport Category Airplanes, Nihad E. Daidzic

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Transport-category or FAR/CS 25 certified airplanes may occasionally become braking energy capacity limited. Such limitation may exist when heavy airplanes are departing airports at high-density altitudes, on relatively long runways, and/or possibly with some tailwind component. A maximum braking energy VMBE speed exists which may limit the maximum allowable takeoff decision/action speed V1. The ever-existing possibility of high-speed rejected takeoff in such conditions may also limit the airplane gross weight for declared available distances. To gain deeper insights and acquire better understanding of the topic, a theoretical model of the maximum braking energy and the related VMBE speed for T-category …

Pilot Source Study 2015: An Analysis Of Far Part 121 Pilots Hired After Public Law 111-216—Their Backgrounds And Subsequent Successes In Us Regional Airline Training And Operating Experience, Guy Smith, Elizabeth Bjerke, Maryjo Smith, Cody Christensen, Thomas Carney, Paul Craig, Mary Niemczyk

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

This report is the second in a series entitled Pilot Source Study 2015. Public Law 111-216 (Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010) and the subsequent FAA regulation changed pilot hiring for US air carriers operating under 14 CFR Part 121. The Pilot Source Study 2015 was designed to determine the effect of Public Law 111-216 on US regional airlines after its effective date, August 1, 2013. The study collected records for 6,734 FAR Part 121 regional airline pilots to determine the effect of pilots’ backgrounds on their performance in regional airline training and operations. A previous …

Accident Rates, Phase Of Operations, And Injury Severity For Solo Students In Pursuit Of Private Pilot Certification (1994–2013), Douglas Boyd, Peter Dittmer

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Flight training accidents constitute 14% of general aviation accidents. Herein we determined the rates, injury severity, and phase of flight for primary student solo accidents/incidents (mishaps) in Cessna 172 aircraft.

Mishaps over the period spanning 1994–2013 were identified from the NTSB database. Student population data were from the FAA. Statistics employed proportion tests, Poisson distribution, and Mann-Whitney tests.

Across the study period, 598 mishaps were identified. While the mishap rate increased nearly two-fold between 1994/1997 and 2002/ 2005, a 35% decline was evident thereafter. Nevertheless, no statistical difference in mishap rates was evident between the initial and current periods. Over …

Designing Fixed-Base Operations Utilizing Systems Engineering Principles, Ross L. Stephenson Jr., David A. Carroll

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

There are currently over 3,200 fixed-base operations (FBOs) conducting business in the United States attempting to meet the demands of FAA Part 91, Part 135, and a limited number of Part 121 operations. With the US economy slowly climbing out of the trough during 2013, the utilization of fixed-base operations has become more attractive and economical to the corporate business and the affluent recreational traveler. Despite the increased flight activities utilizing the services of fixed-base operators, keen competition, rising fuel cost, and the economies of scale recognized by large FBO franchises significantly erode the profitability and sustainability of smaller FBOs. …

Can Flight Data Recorder Memory Be Stored On The Cloud?, Yair Wiseman

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Flight data recorders (FDRs, or black boxes) generate data that is collected on an embedded memory device. A well-known difficulty with these devices is that the embedded memory device runs out of space. To avoid getting into this problematic situation, the software of the FDR is designed to operate in a watchful mode, constantly working to minimize the use of memory space; otherwise a larger FDR would be needed. However, larger FDRs can be a problem because they have very rigorous requirements; thus, enlargement is costly. Outcomes of this research include the recommendation to send FDR data to a remote …

Safety Professional’S Perception Of The Relationship Between Safety Management Systems And Safety Culture, Michael F. Robertson

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the relationship between the elements/processes of safety management systems (SMSs) and their impact on safety culture at collegiate flight training institutions. Research questions addressed the following: different approaches to developing and implementing an SMS, different approaches to the assessment of safety culture, and the relationship between elements/processes of an SMS and a strong safety culture. A semistructured interview protocol was used. The researcher interviewed five safety professionals at U.S. collegiate flight training institutions of various sizes. Overall, the general consensus among the participants was that an SMS works best if it …

An Exploratory Study: Correlations Between Occupational Stressors, Coping Mechanisms, And Job Performance Among Chinese Aviation Maintenance Technicians, Yu Wang, Julius C. Keller, Chenyu Huang, Richard O. Fanjoy

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Aviation maintenance technicians play a vital role in air transportation. These workers are responsible for keeping aircraft airworthy and executing safety responsibilities. Undesirable stress levels may have a negative impact on work performance (Mowday, Porter, & Steers, 2013). Poor work performance may manifest in safety violations, absenteeism, turnover, and disengagement. These outcomes may disrupt an organization’s operation and negatively impact the financial bottom line. This mixed-methods exploratory research study was aimed at examining the relationships between occupational stress, coping mechanisms, and job performance. Research questionnaires were electronically distributed to frontline aviation maintenance technicians at multiple airlines in China. Eighty-two ( …