Aviation Safety and Security Commons^™

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 …

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 …

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 …

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. …

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: 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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

The Impact Of The First Officer Qualification Ruling: Pilot Performance In Initial Training, Nancy R. Shane

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The intent of the First Officer Qualification (FOQ) ruling was to improve the quality of first officers flying for Part 121 carriers. In order to test this, a study was completed at a regional carrier to compare pilots hired prior to the FOQ ruling with those hired after the FOQ ruling. The study compared 232 pilots hired from 2005–2008 with 184 pilots hired from August 2013–November 2014. The pilots’ date of hire as compared to the date the FOQ ruling went into effect defined the input (Source) variable. Initial training defined the output (Success) variables. The airline name and all …

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

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

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 …

Synthesis Of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Safety Reports, Robert Joslin

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The proliferation and extension of unmanned aircraft systems from military to civil and public use applications has rapidly outpaced the safety analysis that is normally associated with the introduction of a new and novel aircraft. Insights into the types of anomalous events associated with accidents and incidents involving civil and public use unmanned aircraft systems operating in the National Airspace System were derived from an information synthesis of archival, publically available reports from the Aviation Safety Information and Analysis Sharing system. The vast majority of anomalous events were related to equipment failures, primarily lost link, distantly followed by a variety …