Evolution of Federal aviation safety

The Federal aviation safety laws and regulations have evolved throughout the years but not without reason. To say the least, the laws and regulations have been written in blood. It goes to say that with most all new technological improvements, man does not know their true limitations or the true consequences of their actions when dealing with that new technology until something happens. From the time of the first accredited flight performed by the Wright brothers up until 1925, there were no true regulations to help alleviate the occurrences of fatal aircraft crashes. With the implementation of such regulations like the Air Commerce Act of 1926, pilots were then required to meet a certain number of requirements in order to perform duties as a pilot. Although this was a major step, airlines were still rather reluctant to share mishap information which later contributed to the creation of new amendments and regulatory powers given to the Department of Commerce.From 1926 to 1958, regulatory powers passed hands numerous times to different agencies, all failing to make the airline industry a safer means of transportation for the American public. Many lives were lost between those 32 years but in 1958 with the passing of the Federal Aviation Act, a much needed reformation of aviation safety came to be and thus the Federal Aviation Administration was born. Many Federal Aviation Regulations were put in place to limit the occurrences of such tragedies that riddled the past years of aviation. Pilots were given strict guidelines to follow and consequences for their actions were strongly enforced. Today, the airline industry is a much safer environment and it is because of the influence and dedication of the Federal Aviation Agency.

Safety Data Systems

~~~~~Aircraft Accident~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aircraft Incident~~~~~

Aviation safety mishaps can be divided into two general categories known as incidents, and accidents. Those that could be put into the incident category are best explained as those that reveal a hazard without the occurrence of a terminal event. These would include but not be limited to the failure of a flight critical piece of equipment or a runway incursion in which no person involved was killed, severely injured, or substantial damage was not done to the aircraft itself. Accidents are categorized as having someone die, someone being severely injured, and/or having substantial damage done to the aircraft. Although there are, more guidelines used in order to classify such occurrences; those listed above give a general guideline as to how such events are categorized. After deeming an occurrence as an incident or accident, various reporting systems are utilized. There are two general types of reporting classifications; mandatory and voluntary. Mandatory reporting concentrates on the pertinent information involved that took place within the event, answering such questions as who and what. Voluntary reporting is done through third parties so that pertinent information that may have been omitted because the fear of the consequences in releasing self-incriminating information. The information collected from the various reports are then collected in various databases and are maintained by four main entities, the NTSB, FAA, NASA, and the Research and Special Programs Administration. The various databases provide a means to categorize all occurrences in a proper and meaningful manner that in turn gives insight into recurring problems that may later lead to much needed solutions. The FAA reporting systems are broken into three portions that handle 280 different databases; the Associate Administrator for Aviation Standards, the Associate Administrator for Air Traffic, and the Office of Aviation Safety. The NTSB utilizes information given within reports and gives suggestions as to how and what should be done in response to the event. NASA provides somewhat of a “get out of jail free” card when utilizing their Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). This is available to use one time to report violations on one’s self without fear of getting in trouble and possibly losing qualifications or acquiring fines.

Aircraft Ground Operation Safety

Flying an aircraft could prove to be one of the most dangerous careers if proper procedures are not followed by those operating the aircraft as well as those supporting the aircraft during ground operations. There are many safety practices and procedures utilized by such ground crews in order to efficiently and effectively support flight operations. Some examples are listed below and many more exist to encompass all aspects involved in proper aviation ground operation safety.

Utilization of aircraft chocks: By placing chocks in the front and rear of aircraft tires, this ensures that the aircraft is properly stationed and will not move while ground operations are being conducted by ground personnel. This process alleviates the risk of possible runway incursions with other surrounding aircraft, structures, equipment, or ground personnel.
Grounding of the aircraft: This process involves connecting the aircraft to a grounding point where the aircraft is being serviced to ensure that stray voltage or electrostatic buildup is properly discharged. This is pertinent in refueling processes because of the possibility of fuel ignition. It could also prove to be a shock hazard to those who are performing maintenance on the aircraft. Tool control: Tool control could pose to be the most significant hazard in the maintenance of any aircraft. When working on multi million dollar aircraft, the improper handling of tools could cause enough damage to the aircraft resulting in the death or injury of the many people onboard or around the vicinity of the accident/incident, substantial damage to the aircraft could also occur.
Although different carriers and airports may have different regulations and procedures in place, I believe that the three listed above should be included in any ground support and maintenance activities.

"It is Human to Err..."

“It is human to err.” With that in mind, it should not come as a shock that approximately 80% of all aircraft accidents can be contributed to human error. Understanding that there was a need for revising current aviation systems to better suit their operators, many different tools were created in order to properly analyze the man to machine interface. I personally believe that the utilization of the SHELL model gives the best man to machine breakdown.

The “S” stands for software: Software has to deal with such things as programs, training, publication, or procedures.

The “H” stands for hardware: Hardware encompasses items that can be physically touched and directly contributes to the flight process. Such things could include gauges, flight equipment, flight simulators, ground support equipment, or the aircraft itself.

The “E” stands for environment: The environment includes the cockpit, weather conditions, and time of day.

The two “L’s” stand for liveware: The first liveware element deals with all persons directly or indirectly involved in the flight process excluding the pilot. These people could range from the passengers onboard the aircraft, maintenance personnel, supervisors, or air traffic control. The second liveware element is dedicated to the pilot. Such things that the pilot could contribute to would be the level of training received, experience in a given platform, or their physical and mental abilities.

By relating accident information to the SHELL model, engineers and those researching probable faults that may have led to the mishap have been able to find ways to fix such problems and initiate the redevelopment of the machine to better suit its operator. Such changes have been made like the converting of confusing gauge clusters and readouts to glass cockpits, which would cover the software, hardware, and environmental elements. Glass cockpits allow the pilot to view more information in a single glance and give an opportunity to conform information placement between different aviation platforms.

Aviation Ground Operation Risk Management

Risk management is involved in every decision we make in every day activities whether we are aware of it or not. One could make a valid argument that all risk management is based on is common sense, but when dealing with potentially hazardous situations, common sense alone may not suffice. That is why engineers and technical experts in their respective fields are looked upon for guidance when assessing those hazardous situations and coming up with guidelines for safe procedures and operations. Below is an example of a systematic outline one might find describing the proper process of how a technician should go about repairing energized or de-energized aviation electronic/electrical equipment.

Working on aviation electronic/electrical equipment:

1. First, familiarize yourself with the specific unit's publication and checklist. During this step the revision date should also be verified that the most current edition is being used. Wrong publications or checklists may not include proper information to safely work on said equipment.

2. Ensure you hold proper qualifications in order to work on such item. Not having proper training could result in damaging the equipment or causing harm to one's self or those around them.

3. Gather all tools and testing equipment needed to perform the task. Not using the right equipment could damage the unit being worked, yourself, or the test equipment being used.

4. Ensure that all jewelry and metal objects are removed before working on any electrical equipment due to shock hazards.

5. Follow the directions within the procedure being utilized and document results on the prescribed checklist. Skipping around to different steps within the directions may lead to forgetting a pertinent step or processes that must be done in a certain order.

6. Perform final evaluations and complete proper paperwork.

7. Have equipment checked by a superior and place item back in a working condition.

OSHA and EPA

Two organizations that the average person would not think would directly affect day-to-day aviation ground crew operations might be the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA). Contrary to what one would think, both the EPA and OSHA have strict rules that cover many aspects performed during normal operations and if not followed properly could result in the accumulation of many costly fines. Below are some examples of how the EPA and OSHA directly influence the aviation community.
The EPA has rules and regulations set forth to prohibit the degradation of our environment be it by air, water, or land. An EPA regulation that could potentially effect aviation ground operations could be the Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA). RCRA places responsibility upon the airlines for the control and disposal of toxic substances such as hydraulic fuel, oils, and any other hazardous substance that may be used in day-to-day operations. By creating the "cradle to grave" comparison, the airlines would be liable from the purchase date of the substance, up to its final disposal. If those hazardous substances were disposed of improperly, the given airline responsible would then be forced to pay for the decontamination of the areas affected. OSHA has a general duty clause that covers all regulations with one simple catchall statement. Essentially, if there are hazards within the workplace and injuries can and are happening, then an employer is responsible for fixing those problems in an expeditious manner. "Each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees." An OSHA regulation that effects aviation ground operations specifically could be the implementation of sound protection at the correct mandated decibel rating that mimics such standards set forth by OSHA. Failure to implement such use of personal protective equipment could bring fines and compensation given to effected employees.

There are many more EPA and OSHA regulations do apply to daily aviation ground operations and if interested, information may be found within the official OSHA and EPA websites.