Engineering Commons^™

Causes And Trends In Maintenance-Related Accidents In Faa-Certified Single Engine Piston Aircraft, Douglas Boyd, A. Stolzer

Alan J. Stolzer

The accident rate for general aviation remains high. While most general aviation accident studies have been pilot-focused, there is little research on the involvement of aircraft maintenance errors. We undertook a study to answer this question. The Microsoft Access database was queried for accidents occurring between 1989 and 2013 involving single engine piston airplanes operating under 14CFR Part 91. Pearson Chi-Square, Fisher’s Exact Test, and Poisson probability were used in statistical analyses. The rate of maintenance-related general aviation accidents was 4.3 per million flight hours for the 1989–1993 period and remained unchanged for the most recent period (2009–2013). Maintenance errors …

Marbles: The Application Of Input-Output Concepts To Safety Management Systems, Tim Brady, A. Stolzer, Anthony Brickhouse, Antonio Cortes, Dan Mccune, Jayathi Raghavan, David Freiwald

Alan J. Stolzer

The goal of this research was to apply the economic concept titled Input-Output Analysis to an aviation safety concept titled Safety Management Systems (SMS). Input-Output (IO) is based upon the interrelationships of various components of an economic system and what happens to the system when one or more of those components changes. Since SMS is, by definition, a system with definable components, the research sought to determine if the interrelationships between those components could be determined and quantified. The term ‘‘marbles’’ was used to describe the activities that led to the IO-SMS matrix. Marbles was used as a metaphor for …

Market Analysis For Small And Mid-Size Commercial Turboprop Aircraft, Vitaly Guzhva, Tamilla Curtis, Vladislav Borodulin

Dr. Tamilla Curtis

Recent fuel price volatility and growing concerns about the efficiency of regional jets have led to a revival of large turboprop aircraft as efficient passenger carriers on short-haul regional routes. However, the overall market for smaller turboprops is much less defined as it is characterized by a plethora of small commuter and niche operators in addition to regional carriers. Since most small and mid-size turboprop manufacturers have gone bankrupt or discontinued production due to some other reasons, current operators of this aircraft class are left with aging fleets that would need to be replaced by 2020-2030. This paper assesses the …

Solving An Age-Old Debate: What Really Controls Altitude And Airspeed?, Juan Merkt

Juan R. Merkt

Mismanagement of altitude and/or airspeed is linked to the top three causes of fatal aviation accidents: loss of control inflight (LOCI), controlled flight into terrain (CFIT), and runway excursions during approach and landing (RE). Clearly, the ability to control altitude and airspeed is a critical skill that all pilots must learn. Yet, differing opinions of how the throttle and elevator work to control altitude and speed can lead to confusion in the cockpit. Energy management is an effective approach to learn how the controls work. Unfortunately energy principles have not found their way into primary flight training. To help bridge …

Unlocking The Mysteries Of Flight: From The Top Down, Juan Merkt

Juan R. Merkt

Traditionally, principles of flight are taught from the bottom-up. That is, we start by examining underlying causes (properties of air) and later move up to top consequences (aircraft performance). This traditional approach is analogous to that used by airplane designers and is most obvious in theory of flight textbooks for pilots. The problem with a bottom-up approach is that it introduces basic concepts as isolated “parts” without providing a “big picture” context. This can lead to poor understanding among student pilots. I suggest an opposite approach. Rather than starting with the underlying causes of flight, we can unravel basic principles …

An Analysis Of Delta's Oil Refinery Acquisition, Wilfred Manuela, Dawna Rhoades, Tamilla Curtis

Dr. Tamilla Curtis

Unmanned Aerial Systems In The Fire Service: Concepts And Issues, John C. Griffith, Ronald T. Wakeham

John Griffith

The presentation will summarize current thinking on the application of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) in the Fire Service. Potential use of UASs to save lives, provide safety and save property has generated preliminary research in three major areas of the fire service to include aviation, structure and wildland scenarios. Roadblocks to the effective use of this technology will also be discussed to include possible command and control issues and governmental actions to limit the use of UASs due to aviation safety concerns. The presenters will recommend areas of future research and steps to implement this technology in the fire service. …

Towards Real-Time, On-Board, Hardware-Supported Sensor And Software Health Management For Unmanned Aerial Systems, Johann M. Schumann, Kristin Y. Rozier, Thomas Reinbacher, Ole J. Mengshoel, Timmy Mbaya, Corey Ippolito

Ole J Mengshoel

The New Aviation Meteorology Specialization In The Graduate Aeronautics Program At Embry-Riddle, John M. Lanicci, Erin A. Roberts

John M Lanicci

The next 12 months will be an exciting time of growth in graduate aviation studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona Beach, FL campus. Beginning in Fall Semester 2009, a new Area of Concentration (AOC) in Aviation Meteorology will be added to the Master of Science in Aeronautics (MSA) program, and the new Doctoral program in Aviation will be starting in January 2010. The Aviation Meteorology AOC adds a crucial specialty to the existing MSA options in Air Traffic Management, Aviation/Aerospace Education Technology, Aviation/Aerospace Management, Aviation/Aerospace Operations, and Aviation/Aerospace Safety Systems. The Aviation Meteorology AOC is designed to be a cross-disciplinary …

The Weather And Air Traffic Management Integration Course In The Graduate Aeronautics Program At Embry-Riddle, John Lanicci

John M Lanicci

One year ago, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University added a new Area of Concentration (AOC) in Aviation Meteorology to the Master of Science in Aeronautics (MSA) program at the Daytona Beach, Florida campus. As part of the preparation for the start of this program, an experimental graduate seminar in Weather and Air Traffic Integration was taught over the summer, which attracted graduate students with backgrounds in commercial and private aviation, applied meteorology, and engineering physics. The purpose of this course was to introduce the students to the concept of weather and air traffic integration as it currently exists and is being planned …

Weather Technology In The Cockpit (Wtic): Concept Of Operations, User Needs, Education, And Training, John Lanicci, L. Kirk, L. Martin, J. Vacek, E. A. Roberts, M. Edwards

John M Lanicci

The FAA, through sponsorship of the Center for General Aviation Research (CGAR), has funded a multi-disciplinary research program on Weather Technology In the Cockpit (WTIC). The CGAR is a consortium of four universities, three of which (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of North Dakota, University of Alaska-Anchorage) are working together on this program. Each university partner has the lead on a portion of the project: the University of Alaska-Anchorage is the lead on developing the WTIC Concept of Operations (CONOPS); the University of North Dakota is the lead on developing a robust set of WTIC user needs; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is …

General Aviation Weather Encounter Case Studies, John Lanicci, Massoud Bazargan, Daniel Halperin, Scott Shappell, Jaclyn Baron, Rebecca Iden, Carla Hackworth, Kali Holcomb

John M Lanicci

This study presents a compilation of 24 cases involving general aviation (GA) pilots’ weather encounters over the continental U.S. The project team interviewed pilots who had experienced a weather encounter, and we examined their backgrounds, flight experience, and weather encounter details. Results from meteorological data analysis for each weather encounter were consistent with findings of larger GA weather accident studies in terms of the types of hazards encountered and flight phase during which the encounters occurred. Investigation of pilot weather products and the sources from which they were obtained revealed a lack of uniformity of pre-flight data sources and underutilization …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of An Education And Training Module For General Aviation Pilots On The Use Of Nexrad-Based Products In The Cockpit, John Lanicci, Erin Roberts, E. Blickensderfer

John M Lanicci

Numerous studies over the years have documented the need to improve meteorological education and training for General Aviation (GA) pilots. With the advent of readily available aviation weather hazard products for real-time pilot use on the flight deck, there is now a lack of education and training on the proper interpretation and usage of these products. Data-linked NEXRAD is a good example of a currently available real-time product that is very popular in the GA community, but lacks a coherent understanding of its proper usage in pre-flight planning and in-flight operation.

Proper usage of NEXRAD in the cockpit should require …

Weather And Collaborative Decision Making In The Aviation Community: Two “Tactical” Case Study Examples, John Lanicci, R. E. Haley, K. Rader

John M Lanicci

Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) in the aviation community has been defined as a “cooperative effort between the various components of aviation transportation, both government and industry, to exchange information for better decision making” (http://cdm.fly.faa.gov/). Two central tenets of CDM are that better information will lead to better decision-making, and that tools and procedures will enable air navigation service providers and flight operators to respond to changing conditions more readily. CDM can trace its roots to the mid 1990s, when airlines began sharing information about flight schedules with air traffic managers in an effort to determine potential “bottlenecks” in the National …

Collegiate Aviation Maintenance Programs: Focus On Quality Or Safety?, Alan J. Stolzer

Alan J. Stolzer

Safety is a prime concern of managers of collegiate aviation maintenance facilities, but often the 'safety' program developed is not as effective as the managers desire. A literature review was conducted to explore the relationship between quality and safety programs, and to determine whether coupling a safety program with a comprehensive quality program might produce better results. Strategies such as behavioral sampling, fishbone diagrams, flow charts, and statistical process control (SPC) - all techniques used extensively in the quality profession - can reveal system flaws and lead to continuous improvement. The literature review suggests that the implementation of a quality …

Something Old Is New Again: Airline-Airport Consortia And Key Stakeholder Benefits, Janet K. Tinoco, Brian W. Sherman

Janet K. Tinoco

Although consortia in the aviation sector predate deregulation by decades, this type of cooperative agreement, particularly in the airline industry, is experiencing a resurgence of interest from industry participants and academia. Airlines are searching for new innovative ways to reduce costs while airports are searching for private partners to improve terminal facilities and equipment and update services. Passengers, on the other hand, continue to balance price versus performance in their travel experience. This empirical research study finds evidence of positive influences of airline consortia to all key stakeholders; however the majority of benefit appears to be felt by the airlines …

Quality In Airline Safety: Quality Methods And Tools Are Needed To Manage New Directions, Alan Stolzer, Carl Halford

Alan J. Stolzer

Approximately 650 million people fly on U.S. certificated air carriers annually (Department of Transportation: Federal Aviation Administration, 2003). Although statistically air transportation is one of the safest modes of travel, the few airline accidents that occur never fail to garner substantial media attention and concern of the public. The responsibility to seek ways to improve air transportation safety falls on all involved in aviation - practitioners and educators alike. The purpose of this article is to provide, through a review of literature, a brief examination of the past, present, and future state of efforts to address airline safety, and to …

Study Of Demand For Light, Primary Training Aircraft In Collegiate Aviation, Alan J. Stolzer

Alan J. Stolzer

Virtually no light, primary training airplanes are being produced in the United States. An exploratory study was undertaken to establish the demand for U.S.-produced light, primary training airplanes in collegiate aviation programs. The study involved both two- and four-year institutions of higher education that offer aviation programs. Data were collected from 24 randomly selected educational institutions by means of a brief questionnaire. An analysis of the data was performed to predict the demand for these airplanes. It was concluded that additional aircraft are needed to satisfy the demand.

The General Aviation Revitalization Act Of 1994: An Overview Of Tort Reform, Alan J. Stolzer

Alan J. Stolzer

The aviation industry, not yet a century old, has developed into one of the most robust, visible, and analyzed industries in the world today. Despite its youth, aviation is a sizable industry, employing an estimated nearly 2.5 million people (NewMyer, Kaps & Sharp, 1997), and generating $75 billion of economic activity in the United States (Kane, 1996). Its size, its importance in our society, and, unfortunately, the occasional mishap that occurs in aviation, cause the industry to be constantly in the public eye. One can hardly watch the evening news or read a newspaper and not be exposed to a …

A Comparison Of The Learning Styles Of Aviation And Non-Aviation College Students, Tim Brady, Alan Stolzer, Bradley Muller, Debbie Schaum

Alan J. Stolzer

In contrast to established educational fields such as mathematics, the discipline of aviation education is relatively young. Despite strong signs that our discipline is maturing (Brady 1991), it is not clear as to the extent to which a larger body of instructional theory can be applied specifically to aviation instruction (Telfer 1993, p. 210) or the broader field of aviation education. A starting point in unraveling this complex question is to better understand the characteristics of aviation students. In recent years a limited number of researchers have begun to address this and related questions (Moore and Telfer 1990; Quilty 1996; …

That Used To Be Us: Through The Eyes Of The Aviation Industry, Kelly A. Whealan-George

Kelly Whealan George

The U.S. economic success was rooted in an industrial policy which had five pillars of a prosperity formula that served as a catalyst for development and growth: 1) public/private cooperation on education, 2) immigration policy, 3) infrastructure, 4) risk/capital management, and 5) government-funded scientific research. In this paper, the development and growth of the aviation industry is viewed in the framework of such a prosperity formula in order to face the four areas that the entire economy will need to face in the current market in order to be competitive in the global market in the 21st century. Since the …

Economic Modeling To Improve Estimates Of The Benefits Of Safety Management Systems, Kelly A. Whealan-George

Kelly Whealan George

Safety Management Systems (SMS) in aviation have the potential to minimize costs, protect profits, and increase shareholder value. However, a gap exists in SMS research between the acknowledged safety benefits of SMS and the identified economic benefits. In the current competitive marketplace, SMS will need to demonstrate economic viability through modeling before industry leaders are likely to adopt a voluntary process. This paper reviews the literature related to a variety of possible economic models applicable to measuring the benefits of the application and implementation of SMS in aviation organizations. While the ultimate goal is to increase safety, the utilization of …

Air Service Liberalization: China And Its Top Destinations, Tamilla Curtis, John Ledgerwood, Blaise Waguespack

Dr. Tamilla Curtis