Aviation Safety and Security Commons^™

Language-Related Communications Challenges In General Aviation Operations And Pilot Training, Bradley S. Baugh, Alan J. Stolzer

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

English is the basis for aviation communications worldwide creating challenges for both native and non-native English speakers. An unfortunate outcome of language-related communications issues, whether indirectly or directly, has been aircraft mishaps. As aviation grows worldwide, the potential for miscommunication increases. Previous studies have concentrated on commercial aviation accident analysis. A similar focus on general aviation operations and pilot training incidents in the U.S. is needed. Voluntary incident reporting is a key component in Safety Management Systems in order to address problems before they become accidents. This project studied voluntary incident reports to analyze the number of language-related reports filed …

Mental Health In Commercial Aviation - Depression & Anxiety Of Pilots, Maurice C. Dehoff, Stephen K. Cusick

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Two landmark accidents invigorated the discussion regarding pilot mental health. Other incidents may also have a mental health component that is related to, but not the direct cause of, the event. It is suspected that these “other incidents” are much more commonplace and while not catastrophic, erode safety. Depression and anxiety are two commonly occurring mental health concerns. Research indicates that a considerable portion of the U. S. population suffers from some form of mental health issue. Most go undiagnosed and untreated. A similar rate of occurrence appears to be found within the airline pilot population. The stigma of mental …

Called To Safety? Individual And Combined Effects Of Safety Climate And Occupational Callings On Aviator Safety Performance, Michele W. Gazica, Erin E. Bowen, Michael A. Mccarson, Kristen A-M. Chadwell

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

This study examined the individual and combined effects of two potential antecedents to aviation-related safety performance: safety climate and occupational callings. Research exploring the importance of occupational callings to the safety domain is in its nascent stages. The extent that someone is living a calling may explain variance in actual safety performance above that which can be explained by safety climate alone. Survey data from aviators in a flight training program were analyzed to evaluate the ability of occupational calling assessments to inform the potential for safety mishaps within the aviation industry. Results indicate that both safety climate and occupational …

Human Error Analysis Of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (Hems) Accidents Using The Human Factors Analysis And Classification System (Hfacs), Paul E. Cline

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) is among the most dangerous type of flying in commercial aviation. This research utilized the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) to understand the errors, preconditions and violations that contribute to these accidents. Drawing upon source data from the National Transportation Safety Board’s Aviation Accident Database, HEMS accidents from 2000-2016 were analyzed according to the HFACS framework.

Evaluating The Effect Of Turbulence On Aircraft During Landing And Take-Off Phases, Anthony O' Connor, Derek Kearney

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

—— Low level wind shear and turbulence present a serious safety risk to aircraft during the approach, landing and take-off phases. Low level wind shear has been identified as one of the primary factors for aircraft go-arounds and aborted landings. During any given year, wind shear occurs thousands of times at airports around the world, affecting the arrival and departure of aircraft. This paper has quantified the direct cost of flight Go-arounds. This paper will show the potential savings to the aviation industry. This paper will argue that a solution to the problem of forecasting low level wind shear and …

Evaluating Small Uas Near Midair Collision Risk Using Aeroscope And Ads-B, Ryan J. Wallace, Kristy W. Kiernan, Tom Haritos, John Robbins, Godfrey V. D'Souza

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

As small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) continue to proliferate in the National Airspace System (NAS), near midair collisions are becoming more common. In late 2017, the National Transportation Safety Board released a report detailing the first confirmed midair collision between a sUAS and manned aircraft in the United States. In February 2018, a video of a sUAS maneuvering around a passenger jetliner on approach to a Las Vegas airport went viral on YouTube. Just months later, a helicopter instructor pilot reported performing evasive maneuvers to avoid colliding with a sUAS, resulting in a non-fatal crash. From 2014 to 2018 the …

Manned Versus Unmanned Aircraft Accidents, Including Causation And Rates, Justin A. Jaussi, Herbert O. Hoffmann

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Many consider aircraft reliability a primary deterrent to the further integration of unmanned aircraft into civil airspace. Discussions of unmanned aircraft reliability often include comparisons of accident rates of medium and large unmanned aircraft (like the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper) to those of manned aircraft. These comparisons, however, often consider a recent period only but do not consider platform maturity. While this approach is valid—and worthy of discussion—it does not present a complete picture of the unmanned aircraft safety record. This paper employs a chi-square goodness-of-fit approach to compare the progression of the U.S. Air Force MQ-9 mishap rate …

Assessing The Risks: An Analysis Of Wildlife-Strike Data At The Three Busiest Brazilian Airports (2011-2016), Flavio A. C. Mendonca Ph.D., Chenyu Huang Ph.D., Thomas Q. Carney Ph.D., Mary E. Johnson Ph.D.

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Brazil is the largest country in Latin America and has a considerable amount of air traffic volume domestically and internationally. Wildlife strikes are an increasing safety and economic concern for aviation operations in Brazil. The Brazilian Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) has published annual reports summarizing the results of analyses of the data in a national level since 2009. The goal of this study was to supplement the CENIPA’s annual reports with information derived from the analysis of wildlife strikes to aviation, during 2011-2016, from the three busiest international commercial airports in Brazil: Guarulhos, Brasília, and Galeão. A …

Uas Pilots Code – Annotated Version 1.0, Michael S. Baum, Kristine Kiernan, Donald W. Steinman, Ryan J. Wallace Ed.D.

Publications

The UAS PILOTS CODE (UASPC) offers recommendations to advance flight safety, ground safety, airmanship, and professionalism.6 It presents a vision of excellence for UAS pilots and operators, and includes general guidance for all types of UAS. The UASPC offers broad guidance—a set of values—to help a pilot interpret and apply standards and regulations, and to confront real world challenges to avoid incidents and accidents. It is designed to help UAS pilots develop standard operating procedures (SOPs), effective risk management,7 safety management systems (SMS), and to encourage UAS pilots to consider themselves aviators and participants in the broader aviation community.

Low-Cost Wearable Head-Up Display For Flight General Aviation, Pavan K. Chinta

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

A low-cost wearable Commercial-off-The-Shelf (COTS) Augmented Reality (AR) Head-Up Display (HUD) system is designed, successfully reduced to practice, and flight tested. The system is developed based on the need for a technology that improves loss-of-control (LOC) safety in the General Aviation (GA) sector. The accuracy of the flight-path based system is determined to be within a degree of the truth source. The repeatability of the data from the COTS system is excellent. A complementary filter is proposed for air data flow angles and successfully flight tested for straight and level flight, dynamic maneuvering, and atmospheric turbulence, provided that a reasonably …

Security Baggage Process And On Time Performance At Guarulhos International Airport, Begara Diego, Adenil Oliveira, Davi Oliveira, Sabrina Santos, Ana Souza

Graduate Student Works

The study recommended starting the process of screening domestic passengers’ checked baggage at Guarulhos – São Paulo International Airport – for airlines efficiency and security improvement reasons. The aviation industry in Brazil is at risk. Domestic flights, which accounts for over 85% of the airport activity at Guarulhos International Airport, do not have a process in which checked baggage of the boarding passengers are duly screened. That risk is significant to personal welfare and business. This Capstone Project demonstrated that such an issue should be addressed. Not only is there a potential risk involved in not screening baggage of domestic …

Predicting General Aviation Pilots’ Weather-Related Performance Through A Scenario-Based Assessment, Jessica Cruit, Christina Frederick, Beth Blickensderfer, Joseph Keebler, Thomas Guinn

Publications

Weather-related accidents continue to challenge the general aviation (GA) community and with the development of advanced weather technology, GA pilots need additional education and training on how to effectively use these weather products to ensure flight safety. Currently, the literature on aviation weather suggests that there is a gap in both training and assessment strategy for GA pilots. Furthermore, several studies advocate assessing GA pilots at a deeper level of learning by including weather-based, scenario/application questions on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) written exam for private pilots. After first developing a scenario-based, aviation weather assessment, we used a multiple regression …

How Law Enforcement Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Uas) Could Improve Tactical Response To Active Shooter Situations: The Case Of The 2017 Las Vegas Shooting, Ryan J. Wallace, Jon M. Loffi

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Using a case study methodology, this paper assesses the unique tactical challenges faced by law enforcement officers responding to the October 1, 2017, Las Vegas active shooter incident. The authors assessed the tactical strengths of the assailant, Stephen Paddock, and challenges faced by law enforcement personnel. The authors present several proposed applications of unmanned aircraft systems that could have potentially mitigated the active shooter’s tactical advantages.

Rates And Causes Of Accidents For General Aviation Aircraft Operating In A Mountainous And High Elevation Terrain Environment, Marisa Aguiar, Alan Stolzer, Douglas D. Boyd

Publications

Flying over mountainous and/or high elevation terrain is challenging due to rapidly changeable visibility, gusty/rotor winds and downdrafts and the necessity of terrain avoidance. Herein, general aviation accident rates and mishap cause/factors were determined (2001–2014) for a geographical region characterized by such terrain.

Accidents in single piston engine-powered aircraft for states west of the US continental divide characterized by mountainous terrain and/or high elevation (MEHET) were identified from the NTSB database. MEHET-related-mishaps were defined as satisfying any one, or more, criteria (controlled flight into terrain/obstacles (CFIT), downdrafts, mountain obscuration, wind-shear, gusting winds, whiteout, instrument meteorological conditions; density altitude, dust-devil) cited …

The Shaping Of Things That Are: How Airplane Windows Took Their Shape, Morgan Lopez

Student Works

Have you ever wondered why your airplane's windows are rounded? It is not for aesthetic appeal.

The first commercial jetliner windows' sole purpose was appearance; a squared window afforded an impressive view of the earth, but the view was not without consequence.

Assessing Situation Awareness In Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations, Haydee M. Cuevas, Marisa Aguiar

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The objective of this study was to investigate the potential utility of the Situation Awareness Linked Indicators Adapted to Novel Tasks (SALIANT) methodology as an assessment tool in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations. Eighteen participants completed a UAS scenario (port security) as part of nine two-person crews (pilot and sensor operator). Subject matter experts mapped the naturally occurring team behaviors in the UAS scenario to create a SALIANT checklist, which was then used to rate participants’ SA. Results showed the SALIANT methodology was able to discriminate differences in SA behaviors among the UAS crews. Results also revealed significant correlations between …

Effects Of Graphical Weather Information Versus Textual Weather Information On Situation Awareness In Meteorology, Stefan Melendez M.S.A., Andrew Dattel Ph.D., Christopher Herbster Ph.D., Debbie Schaum M.A., Andrey Babin

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

Prior to a flight, pilots gather meteorological information in order to assess the weather conditions pertaining to their flight and to make decisions based on it. This information can come in various formats, such as text and graphical weather information. Research has shown that people have varying learning preferences and that most people prefer visual learning to verbal learning (i.e., graphical over text). It is hypothesized that this difference in learning preference can affect the way pilots interpret and apply the information they obtain prior to their flight. The researcher hypothesizes that graphical weather information has a greater, more positive …

An Alternative Method Of Identification Of A Failed Engine In Twin-Engine Turboprop Aircraft, Andrey Babin, Andrew R. Dattel Ph.D.

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

Previous incidents and accidents involving twin-engine aircraft, including the recent TransAsia Flight 235 crash, have revealed that pilots are prone to mistakes in identifying the engine that fails, and subsequently, shutting down the wrong engine, i.e. perfectly working engine. Most accidents of this type happen on takeoff when pilot workload is at its highest level. It may be that the current training procedure for engine failures on takeoff, called identify-verify-feather (IVF), is counterintuitive and may lead to greater confusion. IVF is based on haptic sensory channel, which is known to be less effective than visual channel. This study proposes a …

Pilot Supply At The Regional Airlines: Airline Response To The Changing Environment And The Impact On Pilot Hiring, Becky Lutte

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

Regional airlines facing pilot supply challenges have responded to the rapidly changing environment by increasing pay, adjusting lifestyle factors, and enhancing career pathway opportunities. The purpose of this research is to provide a current view of the status of airline hiring at regional airlines, given the changes in pay and other factors, and to explore the impact of increased pay on the airlines ability to meet hiring goals. Data for analysis was collected through interviews of pilot recruiting personnel from the 10 largest regional airlines. Preliminary results reveal that regional airlines are meeting hiring goals but airlines remain significantly challenged …

Combining Forces: Utilizing Expertise From Applied Linguistics And Flight Instruction For Better Atc Communications, Jennifer L. Roberts, Muhammad T. Omar

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

ATC communications are a complex mix of FAA phraseology and plain English. The dynamic demands of a pilot’s workload, simultaneously operating the aircraft, managing checklists, and maintaining situational awareness, make this domain of communication particularly challenging for many non-native English speakers. The dramatic growth of aviation in regions of the world in which English is not the native language has increased the need for flight training organizations to address and manage language issues. This paper outlines a new initiative at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to support flight students with the English language necessary for successful flight training. Two subject matter experts …

Pilot Control Design Influences On Pilot Monitoring Effectiveness Of Crew Resource Management In Airbus 320 Landings, Edwin Odisho

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of Airbus flight control design on pilot perception of Crew Resource Management (CRM) in the landing phase of flight. Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular 120-71B: Standard Operating Procedures and Pilot Monitoring Duties for Flight Deck Crewmembers, published in January 2017, defines Pilot Monitoring (PM) responsibilities and potential barriers to PM effectiveness of these duties. The unique flight deck design of the A320 includes non-coupled, independently manipulated, side stick controllers, and non-moving autothrust levers. The combination of these design elements on the A320 flight deck presents unique challenges to the flight …

Pilot Training Metrics At A Part 141 University Training Program, Steven Hampton, Dothag Truong, Ken Byrnes, Troy Techau

Publications

The study evaluates training at a collegiate flight training program providing metrics for time and costs from zero time to a Private Pilot. Training times for flights and activities are pulled from a sophisticated database used at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) and matched with flight and ground school lessons and then further subdivided to determine the amount of time spent training in areas of operation that are prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration in the published Practical Test Standards and Airman Certification Standards for those seeking pilot licenses and ratings. Provided are mean times and costs for a prospective pilot …

Applications Of The Technology Acceptance Model To Integration Of The Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System In Fighter Aircraft Operations, Casey Richardson

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The leading cause of F-16 fighter aircraft and fighter pilot losses is ground collisions. In an effort to curb this hazard, an automatic ground collision avoidance system (AGCAS) was formally fielded for use in routine U.S. Air Force active-duty F-16 operations in 2014. AGCAS uses a high-level automation design capable of altering the aircraft’s flight control system independent of pilot action.

This study explored an application of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to integration of the AGCAS in fighter aircraft operations. Using data from a survey of active-duty U.S. Air Force F-16 operational fighter pilots (n=142), collected shortly after initial …

An Evaluation Of The Relationships Between Collegiate Aviation Safety Management System Initiative, Self-Efficacy, Transformational Safety Leadership And Safety Behavior Mediated By Safety Motivation, Daniel Kwasi Adjekum

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The study conceptualized Safety Management System (SMS) initiative, self-efficacy, and transformational safety leadership as constructs that relates to safety behavior (measured by safety compliance and safety participation) when mediated by safety motivation using a quantitative approach. Structural equation modeling techniques was used to derive a final measurement model that fit the empirical data and was used to test the study hypotheses. Utilizing a sample of 282 collegiate flight students and instructors from a large public university in the US, a 46-item survey was used to measure respondent’s perceptions on the study variables. The results indicate that perceptions of SMS policy …

Opening Autonomous Airspace–A Prologue, Samuel M. Vance

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The proliferation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), and in particular small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS), has significant operational implications for the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system of the future. Integrating unmanned aircraft safely presents long-standing challenges, especially during the lengthy transition period when unmanned vehicles will be mixed with piloted vehicles. Integration of dissimilar systems is not an easy, straight-forward task and in this case is complicated by the difficulty to truly know what is present in the airspace. Additionally, there are significant technology, security and liability issues that will need resolution to ensure property and life are protected and …

General Aviation Hypoxia And Reporting Statistics, Timothy B. Holt, Jacqueline Luedtke, Claire Schindler

Publications

“All too often, pilots tell me they don't need physiological training because they don't fly that high. The statement points out the general feelings of a large majority of the aviation population. I suppose then the burning question is ‘why do we still have aircraft accidents?’” (Boshers, 2015). To this day there are no statistics on how often general aviation pilots experience hypoxia during everyday operations. General aviation pilots (i.e. non-commercial operations) were chosen for this study because:

• Little regulation regarding flight physiology training
• General attitude of invulnerability towards hypoxia
• No requirement to report hypoxia or similar events

Adopting Unmanned Flight Operations Into Controlled Airspace, Jennah C. Perry, Johnny Young, Jacqueline Luedtke, Benjamin Cook, Holly Hughes, Allison M. Little, Kyle Wilkerson

Publications

Unmanned aircraft activity is becoming more common within the National Airspace System (NAS) and is expected to dominate the NAS in the near future. Specific procedures for adopting unmanned aircraft into the National Airspace System (NAS).

A variation of the Military Grid Reference System was developed and digitally overlaid onto the radar display. To incorporate this grid system, a customized flight plan database was created for the storage of operator submitted flight plans. Instead of verbal communication, a computer chat system is used for communication because of the low altitude operations in the field.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has …

The Extent Of Distraction Of Cell Phone Conversations For Passengers In Simulated Flight, Tianhua Li

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Currently, passengers are forbidden from making cell phone calls during flights in the United States due to cellular electronic interference. However, some related research has demonstrated that the use of cell phones has little interference with avionics. Furthermore, any potential electronic interference can be eliminated by using new technology. Although talking on the cell phone does not cause electronic interference, the distraction of a passenger caused by a cell phone may negatively impact safety. The cell phone calls have been found to affect people’s attention and performance. In-flight announcements are popular methods to inform commercial airliner passengers of their situation …

The Vulnerabilities Of Hypoxic Events Within General Aviation, Timothy B. Holt, Jacqueline Luedtke, Claire Schindler

Publications

The problem this study addresses is the uncertainty of the common circumstances that general aviation pilots find themselves in that create a hypoxic state, their symptoms of hypoxia, as well as whether or not that pilot deemed the event to put them in an unsafe flight condition. The results of this study showed not only those that were impacted the greatest by hypoxia, but also a caring concern for reporting these events to better flight physiology training. The key elements for this research were:

• Level of pilot experience who have experienced hypoxia
• Reporting statistics
• Symptoms experienced
• Suggestions for bettering flight …

Incorporating Digital Learning Tools In Conjunction With Air Traffic Control Simulation, Jennah Perry, Jacqueline Luedtke, Allison Little, Benjamin Cook, Holly Hughes

Publications

Learning and applying complex information at a fast rate can be challenging for students within an air traffic control - training program. Incorporating digital learning tools into an air traffic control training programs may increase student learning and success rates. Swivl is a digital learning capture tool designed to enhance student learning by allowing students to refer back to their individual classroom lab training session videos via an online portal. Embry Riddle’s air traffic program has started using Swivl in two separate ATC courses in order to determine if it is a viable solution to increase learning.

During our research, …