Maintenance Technology Commons^™

Human Factors In Aviation Maintenance: Understanding Errors, Management, And Technological Trends, Rajee Olaganathan

Publications

Aircraft maintenance and inspection are complex systems that work on a time-based schedule and require teamwork of different professionals to maintain the airworthiness of aircraft. Errors in maintenance and inspection processes cause in-flight engine shutdowns, flight delays, flight cancellation, sometimes resulting in accidents and incidents that cause significant economic consequences. Due to the substantial impact on both safety and financial aspects of an air carrier, this paper focuses on hangar maintenance as the work is carried out across several shifts by different technicians, addressing various human factor issues that contribute to errors. The paper will also briefly discuss shift work …

Fundamentals Of Sustainability, Eva Maleviti

Publications

Fundamentals of Sustainable Aviation is the frst textbook to survey the critical feld of sustainability within the aviation industry. Taking a systems thinking approach, it presents the foundational principles of sustainability and methodically applies them to diferent aviation sectors. Opening with the basics of sustainability, emphasising the Sustainable Development Goals, the book then considers the environmental, economic and social dimensions of aviation. The following chapters apply these insights to aviation design, supply chains, operations, maintenance and facilities. The fnal chapter examines the concept of resilience in sustainable aviation. Overall, the textbook shows how future sustainability can be achieved by making …

The Impact Of Unscheduled Maintenance To An Airline’S On Time Performance, Augusto Dalazen, Beatriz Barbi, Beatriz Ponzoni, Giovanna Simões, Lucas Kamalakian

Student Works

Unscheduled maintenance events have a significant impact on airlines performance and network operations. Some events can have its consequences minimized by simple actions due to its simplicity and lack of influence in the safe conduction of a flight.

This study aimed on collecting data regarding the cost and consequences of ground turn back events in the Airbus A320 family. The study suggested that after the implementation of proper supporting regulation on Crew Applied MEL, money would be saved as well as network disruption consequences could be avoided.

The data presented in this study reflects current Brazilian legislation, and data from …

Shifting Satellite Control Paradigms: Operational Cybersecurity In The Age Of Megaconstellations, Carl A. Poole, Robert A. Bettinger, Mark Reith

Faculty Publications

The introduction of automated satellite control systems into a space-mission environment historically dominated by human-in-the-loop operations will require a more focused understanding of cybersecurity measures to ensure space system safety and security. On the ground-segment side of satellite control, the debut of privately owned communication antennas for rent and a move to cloud-based operations or mission centers will bring new requirements for cyber protection for both Department of Defense and commercial satellite operations alike. It is no longer a matter of whether automation will be introduced to satellite operations, but how quickly satellite operators can adapt to the onset of …

Neutralization Of Fuel Tankering Emissions For Environmental Sustainability, Marcos Café, Diogo Coutinho, Daniel Martinelli, Alex Shigihara, Fabricio Sulzbacher

Student Works

The strategy adopted had verified the impacts of Fuel Tankering by the total value assessment in the Brazilian aviation industry in 2019, recommending practical actions to compensate and neutralize damages caused on the environment.

The importance of sustainability has significantly increased over the past years.

The aviation industry has represented an important pillar helping society to meet their present needs, without compromising the environment and future generations.

The present research had as main objective to verify if the Brazilian aviation industry can neutralize the carbon emissions from Fuel Tankering, a practice of refueling more than necessary to gain financial leverage …

Aessa Young Professionals Forum Webinar “Technologies And Skills That Will Gearup The Aerospace Industry Post Pandemic” - A Global Perspective With An Emphasis On South Africa October 2021, Linda Vee Weiland

Publications

A webinar presentation for AeSSA Young Professionals.

Approaches For Sustainable Aviation, Muhammad Muneeb Safdar

International Programs

The ecological condition is worsening worldwide. The harmful emissions produced by aircraft are significant pollutants. Millions of gallons of fuel are burnt everyday during combustion in aircraft engines thus contributing to noxious emissions. These emissions are not only toxic and a respiratory health hazards but are increasing. It is a grave concern for which remedial measures need to be taken by all the stakeholders before the problem become intractable. So, what needs to be done to make aviation environmentally stable. A balanced and integrated policy encompassing the operational improvements, improvements in aircraft and engine technology, and use of sustainable aviation …

Willingness To Pilot In Different Aircraft Sanitization Scenarios, Nicholas Valluzzi, Jesse Shacknai, Brooke Wheeler, Tianhua Li

Aeronautics Student Publications

A stratified sample of Part 141 ground school classes participated in a questionnaire which determined their willingness to pilot among four different aircraft sanitization scenarios. The sanitization scenarios with more precautions resulted in an increased willingness to pilot.

Aviation Maintenance Safety Management Challenges : Thematic Analysis, Tori Kobayashi, Brent D. Bowen

Student Works

Aircraft maintenance is a fundamental and necessary element in any aviation operation. In order to be considered safe and airworthy, operators must be diligent in the way aircraft are maintained and how employees are performing. A safety management system (SMS) is an organized approach by management to include every employee of a company that standardizes the procedures a company will follow to improve safety. The structure of SMS was designed by the International Civil Aviation Organization in order to be standardized across different countries and types of operations. Currently, only part 121 U.S. commercial airlines are mandated by the Federal …

Implementing The Repairer Human Factors Safety Reporting System Through Mrm (Mxhf) To Meet Sms Compliance In Aviation Maintenance, Mark D. Miller, Bettina Mrusek

Publications

Reiterating the importance of having a human factor related safety reporting system for aviation maintenance to reduce human error and utilizing it to gain SMS compliance, the REPAIRER method of identifying and reporting human factors hazards in aviation maintenance is reintroduced. How and why the REPAIRER method system is of such importance in the implementation of aviation maintenance safety programs can be linked to the success and evolution of maintenance resource management and human factors programs which have been effective in reducing human error in aviation maintenance. These programs are rooted in effective communication methods, as well as the identification …

Repairer Reporting System User Analysis For Sms Compliance In Aviation Maintenance, Mark D. Miller, Bettina Mrusek

Publications

To resolve the issue of human error in maintenance the REPAIRER reporting system is revisited as it has great potential by combining a human factors analysis with a risk management safety reporting mechanism. It is also timely as a human factors centered safety reporting method like the REPAIRER could now be feasibly implemented through the new mandatory FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) FAR 121 requirement to use SMS (Safety Management System) pillars and through the new FAA MxHF human factors training. With the current FAA support in place and the ever growing need to add human factors to combat human error …

Degrader Analysis For Diagnostic And Predictive Capabilities: A Demonstration Of Progress In Dod Cbm+ Initiatives, William Baker, Steven Nixon, Jeffrey Banks, Karl Reichard, Kaitlynn Castelle

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper presents a modified reliability centered maintenance (RCM) methodology developed by The Applied Research Laboratory at The Pennsylvania State University (ARL Penn State) to meet challenges in decreasing life cycle sustainment costs for critical Naval assets. The focus of this paper is on the requirements for the development of the on-board Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) system with a discussion on the implementation progress for two systems: the high pressure air compressor (HPAC), and the advanced carbon dioxide removal unit (ACRU). Recent Department of Defense (DoD) guidance calls for implementing Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) as an alternative to traditional …

Engine Light Repair Shop Evaluation For A Brazilian Airline, Gustavo Henrique Melhado Trevilatto, Marcelo Teodoro Miranda

Graduate Student Works

The maintenance cost of a commercial aircraft comprises airframe, components, and engines. The most expensive of them are engines, which may represent up to 60% of an aircraft cost, and therefore will have a significant impact on any airline finance. As a result, engine fleet maintenance management is crucial for any airline sustainability. Apart from heavy maintenance where life limited parts are replaced and its performance restored, aircraft engines are often required to come off wing for light repair due to operational issues like foreign object damage, high oil consumption, and vibration issues. In other cases, even though being operational, …

Segmentation Of Severe Occupational Incidents In Agribusiness Industries Using Latent Class Clustering, Fatemeh Davoudi Kakhki, Steven Freeman, Gretchen Mosher

Faculty Publications

One of the principle objectives in occupational safety analysis is to identify the key factors that affect the severity of an incident. To identify risk groups of occupational incidents and the factors associated with them, statistical analysis of workers’ compensation claims data is performed using latent class clustering, for the segmentation of 1031 severe occupational incidents in agribusiness industries in the Midwest region of the United States between 2008–2016. In this study, severe incidents are those with workers’ compensation costs equal to or greater than $100,000 (USD). Based on the latent class clustering results, three risk groups are identified with …

Aircraft Hydraulic Systems - Fundamentals, Nihad E. Daidzic

Aviation Department Publications

Aircraft hydraulic systems are essential non-propulsive power systems. Hydraulic power systems are used to power major functional aircraft systems, such as flight controls (primary and secondary), friction braking, nose gear steering, thrust-reversers, operating heavy cargo doors, etc.

Use Of Logistic Regression To Identify Factors Influencing The Post-Incident State Of Occupational Injuries In Agribusiness Operations, Fatemeh Davoudi Kakhki, Steven Freeman, Gretchen Mosher

Faculty Publications

Agribusiness industries are among the most hazardous workplaces for non-fatal occupational injuries. The term “post-incident state” is used to describe the health status of an injured person when a non-fatal occupational injury has occurred, in the post-incident period when the worker returns to work, either immediately with zero days away from work (medical state) or after a disability period (disability state). An analysis of nearly 14,000 occupational incidents in agribusiness operations allowed for the classification of the post-incident state as medical or disability (77% and 23% of the cases, respectively). Due to substantial impacts of occupational incidents on labor-market outcomes, …

Evaluating Machine Learning Performance In Predicting Injury Severity In Agribusiness Industries, Fatemeh Davoudi Kakhki, Steven Freeman, Gretchen Mosher

Faculty Publications

Although machine learning methods have been used as an outcome prediction tool in many fields, their utilization in predicting incident outcome in occupational safety is relatively new. This study tests the performance of machine learning techniques in modeling and predicting occupational incidents severity with respect to accessible information of injured workers in agribusiness industries using workers’ compensation claims. More than 33,000 incidents within agribusiness industries in the Midwest of the United States for 2008–2016 were analyzed. The total cost of incidents was extracted and classified from workers’ compensation claims. Supervised machine learning algorithms for classification (support vector machines with linear, …

Safety Culture Awareness In Aviation Maintenance: Foundations To Present, Tori Kobayashi

Student Works

Safety Culture awareness in aviation maintenance organizations is necessary for the performance of effective maintenance and the safe operation of aircraft. Maintenance organizations that promote a strong culture of safety encourage honesty and integrity within the workplace. The environment where maintenance is performed differs from other aviation related operations. The promotion of safety in maintenance operations has been proven over time in publications written by the earliest pioneer in aviation safety, Jerome Lederer. The awareness of safety culture in aviation maintenance has evolved with the industry to the present day.

Analyzing Large Workers’ Compensation Claims Using Generalized Linear Models And Monte Carlo Simulation, Fatemeh Davoudi Kakhki, Steven Freeman, Gretchen Mosher

Faculty Publications

Insurance practitioners rely on statistical models to predict future claims in order to provide financial protection. Proper predictive statistical modeling is more challenging when analyzing claims with lower frequency, but high costs. The paper investigated the use of predictive generalized linear models (GLMs) to address this challenge. Workers’ compensation claims with costs equal to or more than US$100,000 were analyzed in agribusiness industries in the Midwest of the USA from 2008 to 2016. Predictive GLMs were built with gamma, Weibull, and lognormal distributions using the lasso penalization method. Monte Carlo simulation models were developed to check the performance of predictive …

Financial Evaluation For A Brazilian Airline To Conduct Aeronautical Components Repair In Brazil, Ana Moreno Sandoval, Enzo Canavesi Luizetto, Joao Paulo Panssiera, Klaus Goulart Brum

Graduate Student Works

The current economic world volatility, as well as the increasing cost of fuel and security procedures established by the worldwide authorities, force the air carriers to search for alternatives to reduce their operational costs. The maintenance costs are a significant subject for the air carriers, therefore, any cost reduction obtained without maintenance service disruption, may provide an opportunity to enhance the airline competitiveness (Fritzsche, 2014).

The purpose of this research is to evaluate and compare the technical and financial aspects of performing aircraft components repair in house for a Brazilian airline versus outsourcing the servicing to a homologated company outside …

Evaluating Annual Fixed Wing Maintenance Costs, Kirsten Bunecke, Edward D. White, Jonathan D. Ritschel, Brett A. Bush

Faculty Publications

This article serves two purposes: first, to empirically model the annual percentage increase of operations and support (O&S) costs for fixed wing aircraft; and second, to place into the archival realm another reference for other researchers to consider when investigating other O&S topics. For this study of 21 different airframes grouped together at the Mission- Design Series (MDS), maintenance subcategories 3.1 Consumable Materials and Repair Parts, 3.2 Depot Level Repairables (DLR), and 3.4 Depot Maintenance accounted for an average 91.5% of annual organic maintenance costs. For contractor-maintained MDS, subcategory 3.7, Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) accounted for 96.6% of annual maintenance …

Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Training Programs Through The Lens Of A Traditional Flight Training University, David Thirtyacre, C. Woodyard

Publications

According to CFR 14 Part 107, an RPC is issued strictly on the results of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) knowledge test and background security check. This leaves commercial sUAS operators on their own to determine the training and proficiency required to fly safely and effectively. Regardless of the learning method, the question becomes, what knowledge and maneuvers should be learned, and to what proficiency level? This paper explores specific knowledge and skills which should be mandatory for all sUAS commercial pilots and recommends a probation period to gain experience before receiving an unrestricted RPC.

From Paper To Digital Maintenance With Electronic Signature, Marcelo Backes, Fernando Miwa, Cesar Okajima, Ari Souza Jr., Daniel Tkacz

Graduate Student Works

This research paper reviewed the impact of the implementation of digital maintenance records replacing paper documents in the commercial aviation through gains in efficiency and cost reduction in airplane transitions. Throughout the lifecycle of a commercial airplane, repairs are incorporated, components are replaced and maintenance tasks are accomplished every day, each of those activities generate records that need to be kept and reconciled. Lessors have strict contract terms that require operators to keep all required maintenance documents stored and available so that asset value is maintained, this process is done today mostly with paper documents and is very costly and …

Expedient Airfield Runway Repair Using Folded Fiberglass Mat, Christopher Y. Tuan, Willaim C. Dass

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

For expedient airfield runway repair, the US Air Force has developed a folded fiberglass mat to cover craters repaired with a well-compacted granular base material. The objective of this study was to evaluate the adequacy of using polymer plugs to anchor the mat to a repaired asphalt pavement for heavy aircraft operations. The effort consisted of materials testing, field experiments and analytical modeling. An 89,800-kg (198,000-pound) load cart having the footprint of a single C-5 main gear was pulled on a mat with wheels locked to simulate full braking forces. Anchor bushings were instrumented to measure anchor loads. A simplified …

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

Publications

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 …

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

Publications

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 …

Aircraft Materials And Analysis, Tariq Siddiqui

Publications

Note: This pdf only includes chapter 1 and 10.

Complete coverage of aircraft design, manufacturing, and maintenance

Aircraft Materials and Analysis addresses aircraft design, mechanical and structural factors in aviation, flight loads, structural integrity, stresses, properties of materials, compression, bending, and aircraft fatigue. Detailed analysis of the failure process is provided.

This authoritative guide examines materials used in aircraft construction such as aluminum, steel, glass, composite, rubber, and carbon fiber. Maintenance procedures for corrosion and aging aircraft are discussed and methods of inspection such as nondestructive testing and nondestructive inspection are described. Accident investigation case studies review aircraft design, material …

Aviation Maintenance Management, Harry A. Kinnison, Tariq Siddiqui

Publications

Note: This pdf only includes chapter 1 and 18.

THE COMPLETE, UP-TO-DATE GUIDE TO MANAGING AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS

Thoroughly revised for the latest aviation industry changes and FAA regulations, this comprehensive reference explains how to establish and run an effi cient, reliable, and cost-effective aircraft maintenance program. Co-written by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University instructors, Aviation Maintenance Management, Second Edition offers broad, integrated coverage of airline management, aircraft maintenance fundamentals, aviation safety, and the systematic planning and development of successful maintenance programs.

LEARN HOW TO:

• Minimize service interruptions while lowering maintenance and repair costs
• Adhere to aviation industry certification requirements and …

Toward GemeinschaftsgefüHl: Exploring Subordinate And Manager Perceptions Of Trust And Perceptions Regarding Behavioral Change Potential, Bobby G. Martin

Publications

In this qualitative, phenomenological study, Maslow‘s Eupsychian theory was used as the guiding framework for exploring the perceptions of trust and the behavioral change potential of subordinates (includes frontline supervisors) and managers (excludes frontline supervisors) within selected aviation maintenance organizations in Arizona. The problem addressed in the study was the growing concern that managers willfully mistreated subordinates, which led to decreased trust, motivation, and productivity. A combined representative sample of 10 maintenance technicians and frontline supervisors was purposively selected from the production lines of a large commercial aviation repair and overhaul station located in Arizona. An additional combined representative sample …

Are Four-Year Universities Better Than Two-Year Colleges At Preparing Students To Pass The Faa Aircraft Mechanic Certification Written Examinations?, Jeffrey Bruce Summey, Marian C. Schultz, James T. Schultz

Publications

This study evaluates differences between two-year and four-year schools offering a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 147 aviation maintenance technician program. The actual average test scores were analyzed to determine whether students from four-year university programs were better prepared for the test than students from two-year college or technical school programs. Test scores can be viewed as a direct indication of the quality of the aviation maintenance programs at these schools. The study found that there was no statistically significant difference in the test scores between two-year college and four-year university students taking the FAA examinations. These results support previous …