Chapter 6 Aviation Safety

Define airworthiness and describe the process for airworthiness certification

measure of how airworthy an aircraft is according to ICAO standards and recommended practices. The process for an airworthiness certification includes design approvals, productions approvals, and airworthiness approvals

What is a Type Certification?

The process when a regulator approves the design and manufacturing standards for a new aircraft. This process is usually disputed between the regulator and the design organization

What was the timeline of ESA published roadmap in which the first certification of assistance to pilots is to be expected?

2025 with full autonomy in 2035

role of the Maintenance Review Board Report (MRBR)

acceptable means of compliance for creating a program for maintenance

What is a MMEL and who is responsible for preparing it

master minimum equipment list that is associated with limitations, procedures, and special operating conditions. Manufacturor responsible for preparing it

Regarding a Design Organization, what are “Grandfather Rights”

where the design of an aircraft is the same or similar to another aircraft that is already certified, letting the variants of an initial type of aircraft be verified under that certification

Data exists to suggest that there are some inadequacies of the FAA regarding the Type Certification Process. Which aircraft accident(s) have highlighted this mostly?

The Boeing 737 MAX accidents

Why were recommendations made by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) for the FAA and EASA to review their certification processes?

The aviation system didn’t know enough about ice accumulation to mitigate it. To ensure aircraft and fuel systems are tolerant to the buildup of ice in fuel feed systems. They were also recommended to research ice formation in turbine fuel and release mechanisms within fuel systems.

List some reasons that the aircraft certification process can fail.

when there are insufficient knowledge or flawed assumptions

Who are the parties that share responsibility for continued airworthiness?

regulator, the type-certificate holder, the operator, their maintenance organization, and their certifying staff

How do regulators legally enforce rules to correct unsafe conditions

issue Airworthiness Directives to legally enforce rules to correct unsafe flying conditions

Who do aircraft operators appoint to carry out carry out maintenance operations and what are such operations for the work to be carried out guided by.

appoint the type certificate holder to carry out maintenance operations and service bulletins (not mandatory) explain the work that needs to be done to the aircraft

What was found the be the cause(s) of the 1998 emergency landing on the Hawaiian Island of Maui made by the Boeing 737.

plane experienced an explosive decompression in flight due to the maintenance program failing to spot the fatigue damage

What would be a consequence if a regulator has doubts of the continued airworthiness of an aircraft

regulator would revoke the TC, which removes the support for the certificate of airworthiness

When were the International Licensing Standards for flight crews introduced

1919

What scenarios are included with an air carriers Operations Manual?

management systems, flight time limitations, and emergency procedures

What is a wet lease?

an organization provides the aircraft with crew, insurance, maintenance, and takes operational control of the aircraft

What is a dry lease?

organization supplies the aircraft without crew, maintenance, and insurance

What are considered operational aids on aircraft and provide some specific examples.

focus on helping the flight crew, reducing workload, and improving safety. Systems include high-lift systems, Autoland, and autobrakes

What are situational awareness and crew aids

aim to assist the flight crew to reduce their workload. Some examples of this are head-up displays, electronic flight bags, and Traffic Collision avoidance system (TCAS)

What equipment does modern airliners have to reduce lift and increase drag to provide for better roll authority

Roll spoilers

What are Electronic Flight Bags, and provide some examples of what information may pilots use to access from them

electronic devices that contain things like flight plans, approach plates, and charts. This lets pilots calculate weight and balance and plan flights

“The status of an aircraft, engine, propeller or part when it conforms to its approved design and is in a condition for safe operation”

Airworthiness

“The set of processes by which an aircraft, engine, propeller or part complies with the applicable airworthiness requirements and remains in a condition for safe operation throughout its operating life”

Continuing Airworthiness

Organization Designation Authorization (ODA)

how the FAA grants design authorization to these companies

Regular FAA oversight is required to

ensure the ODA holder continues to meet FAA safety standard

Certification Specification are

intended to produce safe outcomes without dictating exactly how DO’s achieve those outcomes

Advisory Circulars (AC), Orders and Notices, Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC), or Guidance Material (GM)

intended to clarify and explain the standard and give examples of how an OEM might show compliance.

Despite technological advancement, regulators have no accepted route to certify

AI

Design Organizations

obligated to support operators when introducing a new type into their operation

Maintenance Planning Document

supplied by the TCH and includes airworthiness limitations, maintenance

manual/instructions and engine instruction

Maintenance Steering Group (MSG-3)

decision-logic process for determining initial scheduled maintenance requirements for new aircraft and is a means for developing acceptable maintenance tasks and intervals.

Flight Crew Operations Manual (FCOM)

explaining how the aircraft systems work and how the designers envisaged the aircraft to be operated.

Least significant modifications are approved in normal maintenance and most significant modifications require a

Supplementary Type Certificate (STC)

as well as being an example of not knowing enough, the accident to………. is also an example of where the system appeared to “know enough,”, but in reality that under- standing (and the mitigations it produced) was based on flawed assumptions.

Boeing 777, G-YMMM, british airways flight 38

Alert Service Bulletin

when an unsafe condition is discovered but are still not mandatory but must be carried out in a specific timeframe

An operator must ensure the Certificate of Airworthiness remains valid and must have an

Aircraft Maintenance Program (AMP) and Approved Maintenance Schedule (AMS) in place which is certified by the regulator

Continuous Airworthiness Maintenance Program (CAMP)

includes specific maintenance and inspection tasks. ensure ADs and AMP tasks are performed, overseeing Modifications and Repairs with compliance to the Certificate of Release to Service (CRS)

(MROs) organizations

Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul

Maintenance staff must hold a

Aircraft Maintenance License (AML) approved for a particular aircraft type

The investigation of a Boeing 737-200 that suffered an explosive decompression in 1988 and required an emergency landing in Maui concluded that the accident was caused

by a failure of the maintenance program to “detect the presence of significant disbanding and fatigue damage”

Aging Aircraft Safety Act

required carriers to show that maintenance of an aircrafts age-sensitive parts had been enough to ensure the highest degree of safety

Supplemental Structural Inspection Program (SSID)

significant increase in inspections is required to maintain airworthiness of aging aircraft

commonly known examples of the importance of effective Continuing Airworthiness is

British Airways Flight 5390 and Japan Airlines Flight 123

Nation Aviation Authority (NAA)

Licensing of flight crew started at the beginning of aviation and issuance began in 1909 with international licensing standards initiated in 1919

Commercial Pilot’s License (CPL)

takes 18 months and is very expensive, raising concerns as to whether the system is producing the best candidates or just those who can afford the training

ETOPS

Extended-Range Twin-Engine Operations Performance Specification

ETOPS enables

twin-engine aircraft to operate on routes previously designed for three or four engine aircraft

Without ETOPS approval, twin-engine aircraft must remain within

1-hour flying time of a diversion airport at the approved one-engine inoperative cruise speed. This reduces exposure to the potential of a double-engine faliure

Power by the hour (PBH)

leasing approach that allows the operator to agree on a rate based on flight hours or calendar time. supplier agrees to provide the parts, maintenance, overhaul etc. and the operator pays an ongoing fee

Operational Aids include

High-Lift Systems
Speed Brakes/Spoilers
Autobrakes
Brake-to-Vacate and Runway Overrun Prevention

Autoland
Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System(ACARS)
Antiskid Braking

Situational Awareness and Crew Alerting systems include

Head-up Displays
Electronic Flight Bags
Additional Cockpit Screens
Weather Detection
Terrain and Ground Proximity Warning (TAWS/EGPWS)
Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS)
Engine Alerting (EICAS and ECAM)