Air Safety

Air safety is a term encompassing the theory, investigation and categorization of flight failures, and the prevention of such failures through regulation, education, and training.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) takes the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. They adopt standards and recommended practices concerning air navigation. Civil aviation is a powerful force for progress in our modern global society. It is a catalyst for travel and tourism, the world's largest industry.

Twenty four hours a day, 365 days of the year, an airplane takes off or lands every few seconds somewhere on the face of the earth. Every one of these flights is handled in the same, uniform manner, whether by air traffic control, airport authorities, or pilots at the controls of their aircraft. Behind the scenes are millions of employees involved in manufacturing, maintenance, and monitoring of the products and services required in the never-ending cycle of flights. In fact, modern aviation is one of the most complex systems of interaction between human beings and machines ever created.

This clock-work precision in procedures and systems is made possible by the existence of universally accepted standards known as Standards and Recommended Practices, or SARPs. SARPs cover all technical and operational aspects of international civil aviation, such as safety, personnel licensing, operation of aircraft, aerodromes, air traffic services, accident investigation and the environment. I believe without SARPs and the ICAO, our aviation system would be at best chaotic and at worst unsafe.

Aircraft Ground Operations

Surface incidents, runway incursions, collision hazards, and loss of separation are all events that endanger aircraft ground operations.
Runway incursions specifically are classified into the following categories:

• Operational Error (OE)


• Pilot Deviation (PD)


• Vehicle/Pedestrian Deviation (VPD)


• Miscellaneous

The typical airport surface environment is a complex system of markings, lighting, and signage coupled with layouts that vary by airport.

Today, surveillance and broadcast services such as the following exist.

• Traffic Information Service – Broadcast (TIS-B)


• Flight Information Service – Broadcast (FIS-B)


• Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B)
  

These systems, specifically ADS-B, are crucial components of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS). ADS-B provides surveillance and situational awareness simultaneously to pilots and air traffic control facilities. It has been designed to improve safety, capacity and efficiency of the National Airspace System, while providing a flexible expandable platform to accommodate future air traffic growth.

These services help to prevent accidents by providing increased situational awareness to air traffic controllers and pilots by providing:

• Air-to-air surveillance capability


• Surveillance to areas that do not currently have surveillance coverage


• Real-time, in-the-cockpit, traffic and aeronautical information

Human Factors

Human Factors have been widely cited as the primary factor in many aviation accidents. In order to understand how people respond to different circumstances, we must analyze past accidents, incidents, and any other occurrences through a human factors model in order to increase safety and efficiency in the future.

The human element is the most flexible, adaptable, and valuable part of the aviation system, but it is also the most vulnerable to influences which can adversely affect its performance. Errors attributed to humans in the system can be design induced, or stimulated by inadequate training, badly designed procedures, or the poor concept or layout of checklists or manuals. An understanding of predictable human capabilities and limitations, as well as the application of this understanding, are the primary concerns of Human Factors.

It is helpful to use a model to aid in the understanding of Human Factors. This allows a gradual approach to comprehension. One practical diagram to illustrate a conceptual model uses blocks to represent the different components of Human Factors. The model can be built up one block at a time, with a pictoral impression being given of the need for matching the components. The name of the SHEL Model is derived from the initial letters of its components: Software, Hardware, Environment, and Liveware.

The basis of the SHEL system is the premise that what people do in a work situation is determined not only by their capabilities and limitations, but also by the machines they work with, the rules and procedures governing their activities, and the total environment within which the activity takes place. The model states that Hardware, Software, and Liveware (human elements) are all system resources that interact together and with their Environment. Accidents are described as the symptomatic failure of one of the components in the model. In order for the SHEL system to be adopted, a change in the thought process is needed so that accidents will not be regarded as isolated events of a relatively arbitrary nature, due mostly to carelessness.

Federal Aviation Safety Laws and Regulations

The early years of 20th century aviation in America was not regulated. There were many accidents, especially during the barnstorming decade of the 1920’s. Many aviation leaders of the time believed that federal regulation was necessary to give the public confidence in the safety of air transportation. President Calvin Coolidge appointed a board to investigate the issue. The board's report favored federal safety regulation.

The Air Commerce Act became law on May 20, 1926. The Act created an Aeronautic Branch assigned to the United States Department of Commerce, and vested that entity with the fundamental regulatory powers needed to ensure civil air safety. Among these functions were: testing and licensing pilots, issuing certificates to guarantee the airworthiness of aircraft, making and enforcing safety rules, certificating aircraft, establishing airways, operating and maintaining aids to air navigation, and investigating accidents and incidents in aviation.

The Air Commerce Act was not entirely effective for aviation safety, but it was a good foundation for future aviation laws. Over the next 30 years, aviation agencies were created, revamped, and renamed. In 1958, Congress passed the Federal Aviation Act, which established the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA). In 1967 it became a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation and was renamed the Federal Aviation Administration. It is responsible for regulating and overseeing all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S.

The Federal Aviation Administration's major roles include:

• Regulating U.S. commercial space transportation


• Regulating air navigation facilities' geometry and Flight inspection standards


• Encouraging and developing civil aeronautics, including new aviation technology


• Issuing, suspending, or revoking pilot certificates


• Regulating civil aviation to promote safety, especially through local offices called Flight Standards District Offices


• Developing and operating a system of air traffic control and navigation for both civil and military aircraft


• Researching and developing the National Airspace System and civil aeronautics


• Developing and carrying out programs to control aircraft noise and other environmental effects of civil aviation

Safety Data Systems

ASIAS:
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) promotes the open exchange of safety information in order to continuously improve aviation safety. To further this basic objective, the FAA developed the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) system. The ASIAS system enables users to perform integrated quires across multiple databases, search an extensive warehouse of safety data, and display pertinent elements in an array of useful formats.

ASRS:
The Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) is a small but important facet of the continuing effort by government, industry, and individuals to maintain and improve aviation safety. The ASRS collects voluntarily submitted aviation safety incident/situation reports from pilots, controllers, and others.

The ASRS acts on the information these reports contain. It identifies system deficiencies, and issues alerting messages to persons in a position to correct them. It educates through its newsletter CALLBACK, its journal ASRS Direct-line and through its research studies. Its database is a public repository which serves the FAA and NASA's needs and those of other organizations world-wide which are engaged in research and the promotion of safe flight.

The ASRS collects, analyzes, and responds to voluntarily submitted aviation safety incident reports in order to lessen the likelihood of aviation accidents.

ASRS data are used to:

• Identify deficiencies and discrepancies in the National Aviation System (NAS) so that these can be remedied by appropriate authorities.



• Support policy formulation and planning for, and improvements to, the NAS.



• Strengthen the foundation of aviation human factors safety research. This is particularly important since it is generally conceded that over two-thirds of all aviation accidents and incidents have their roots in human performance errors.