Federal Aviation Administration FAA FLIGHT TEST RISK MANAGEMENT

Federal Aviation Administration FAA FLIGHT TEST RISK MANAGEMENT Presented to: Flight Test Safety Workshop Melbourne, Florida By: Rod Huete, FAA Test Pilot John Hed, FAA Flight Test Engineer Date: May, 2008

Outline • FAA Flight Test Organization/ Mission • Safety Challenges as Regulatory Agency – Specific to type of certification activity – Generic • • Accidents/Incidents Flight Test safety / Risk Management Program Flight Test Safety Database Demo Conclusions FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 2

Organization Department of Transportation FAA Airports Air Traffic Aviation Safety Aircraft Certification Service Rotorcraft Directorate Small A/C Directorate Regional ACO FAA Flight Test Risk management Transport A/C Directorate Regional ACO Engine/Propeller Directorate Regional ACO Federal Aviation Administration 3

Aircraft Certification Service • The Aircraft Certification Service is the FAA organization responsible for: – Certification approval of: • New and modified aircraft produced by U. S. Manufacturers (Type Certificates (TC)) • U. S. modifications to aircraft (Supplemental Type Certificates (STC)) – Validation of foreign certified aircraft operated by U. S. operators – Continuing airworthiness of: • Aircraft with U. S. TCs • Aircraft operated by U. S. operators FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 4

Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) Responsibilities • Flight test evaluation of: – – Performance & Handling qualities Systems performance (e. g. AFCS) Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) procedures Flight crew human factors • Approval of Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) • Assist in development of new flight test requirements, advisory material and guidance FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 5

TC Projects • Normally working with well established design and testing organizations (at least for the major manufacturers): – Experienced engineering staff in all disciplines – Excellent knowledge of products – Sound understanding of flight test requirements and advisory material – Experienced flight test personnel – Comprehensive procedures for flight testing FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 6

OEM’s Flight Testing • Establishes the limit flight envelope through progressive, incremental development • Specifically assigned project pilots (pilot and copilot) thoroughly familiar with test aircraft, special limitations and procedures, and status of aircraft systems – Handling pilot can generally concentrate on the test – Copilot can generally concentrate on monitoring aircraft flight and system status (in addition to ATC, navigation and other aspects) – Varied level of responsibility accorded to Flight Test Engineers/Observers • Manufacturer’s testing encompasses most required certification tests FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 7

New Aircraft Approvals – Safety Concern • Generally “end point” with little or no work-up • Simulators have not always been available to support certification programs • Limited use of telemetry • FAA pilot not as familiar with aircraft as the OEM pilot • High workload on: – FAA pilot; and, – Manufacturer’s pilot who has to monitor aircraft status, ATC and navigation, as well as test progress • Potential for mishandling at limiting conditions FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 8

STC Projects • Many display, cockpit or avionics upgrades – – • • • Conversions to glass cockpits Enhanced vision Synthetic vision Electronic flight bag Passenger to Cargo conversions Passenger/Cargo to firefighting Winglets and other drag reduction Engine upgrades ……. FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 9

STC Approvals – Safety Concern • Little or no development flight testing • Applicant’s tests often not done by experienced flight test personnel • Generally the applicant’s pilot will not be a Test Pilot: – Will usually have a good operational understanding of the aircraft; but, • May not understand the need for the test • May not understand the test • Can be resentful • Higher probability of unexpected results during FAA certification tests FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 10

Validation Projects • For all major Transport Category aircraft to be operated by U. S. operators, FAA conducts a limited flight test assessment to: – Determine compliance with retained/unique FAA technical and/or design related operating requirements – Become familiar with the performance, handling and operating characteristics – Obtain sufficient knowledge of aircraft to support: • Continuing airworthiness responsibilities • U. S. modification activity FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 11

Validation Approvals - Safety Concerns • Low FAA crew proficiency in aircraft type. • OEM may have very different safety procedures. • Limited interaction with OEM so crews not familiar with each other. – Often language barriers – Procedure differences FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 12

Generic Safety Challenges • • Unforeseen event (e. g. independent failure) Pilot blunder (e. g. inappropriate control input) Pilot misjudgment (e. g. landing rate of descent) Loss of situational awareness (e. g. due to fixation with test) • Flight Test Engineer or crew blunder (e. g. incorrect airspeeds, incorrect config. ) • Aircraft deficiency (e. g. incomplete or misunderstood development tests) • Continuing tests in adverse atmospheric conditions and/or inappropriate hours (e. g. due to schedule pressure) FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 13

How We Dealt With These Challenges In The Past • • • Safety process non existent as a formal process No Flight / Test Safety Officers identified Test safety dependent on individual test pilot / FTE experience or “company” processes Risk assessment / management frequently done real time • No collection / distribution of lessons learned FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 14

How We Now Deal With These Challenges • Created a formal safety process (FAA Order 4040. 26) • Flight test safety officers assigned at ACOs • Formal safety training required – CRM, Survival, Physiological… • Sharing of safety practices and lessons learned – Safety meetings – Event reporting – Flight test safety database FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 15

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Typical FAA Accidents and Incidents FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 17

FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 18

FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 19

FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 20

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FAA CERTIFICATION INCIDENT SUMMARY FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 22

FAA Common Threat Areas • Infant Mortality • Runway Environment / Obstructions • Lack of Confirmation of Applicant’s Test performance • Pre-test Airworthiness Inspection (Conformity) FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 23

Current FAA Flight Test safety / Risk Management Program • Organizational structure based on system safety model • FAA order 4040. 26, Flight Safety Program – – – Flight Test Risk Management Process Incident Reporting Local Quarterly safety meeting Flight Test Briefing Guide Accident Response Plan FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 24

Current FAA Flight Test safety / Risk Management Program – Cont’ • Regulatory requirement for Risk Assessment • Initial and recurrent safety training – Flight Test Safety course – Crew Resource Management (CRM) • Flight Test Safety Database FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 25

Organizational Structure Flight Program Oversight Committee (FPOC) Flight Program Manager (FPM) ACO Flight Test Manager / Flight Program Coordinator (FPC) Facility FPC (Optional) Flight Program Executive Operations Manual Flight Program Flight Safety Officer (FPFSO) Local Operations Manual Facility FSO * FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 26

FAA Flight Test Risk Management Process • Risk Assessment required for all tests – Normally done by development of THAs • Done by ACO, or Part of acceptable company process • TIA signature authority raised to appropriate level FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 27

Incident Reporting/ Database FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 28

Flight Test Safety Database Update An Online Resource for Flight Test Safety Planning FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 29

Database Background • Great deal of ‘corporate knowledge’ out there but not documented and thus ‘dies’ with the owner. • Flight Testers are spread out all over the country. Everyone did safety differently. • Order 4040. 26 A required implementation of a risk management process that: – Identifies hazards and probabilities – Identifies/implements mitigating actions – Estimate and accept risk FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 30

Database Background • Joined up with NASA to develop an online database of flight test safety info. • NTPS contracted to gather FAA data. – Retrieve data from authorities and manufacturers – “Consolidate” it into master records for each test & hazard • Other groups formed to gather military, development and other data. – Icing, High AOA, Propulsion… FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 31

Database Status & Update • Substantially complete with FAA Part 23 & 25 data input. Working on Parts 27/29 (Rotary) • Continuing to gather military and developmental data • Continuous small interface improvements • NEW – Input module now online so you can input your own data or suggest edits of existing data. – Continuing to improve this with “offline” method also FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 32

Flight Test Safety Database http: //pbma. nasa. gov/ftsdb/Home. aspx On-line Demo FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 33

Flight Test Safety Database Summary • The matured THA database IS a wide array of test safety ideas and suggestions – But it is NOT an FAA-mandated solution – And it is NOT an auto-safety planning device • The matured hazards, causes and mitigations are necessarily generic • Your test will have unique problems and will require unique solutions • The THA database can be an excellent starting point FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 34

Conclusion • As a regulatory Certificating Agency we face many flight test challenges • Past experience has demonstrated that we are vulnerable to safety risks/hazards • We have learned from our mistakes • We are meeting the challenge by applying proven safety practices FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 35

FTSDB Home Page FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 36

FTSDB Login FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 37

FTSDB Main Page FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 38

FTSDB Home Page Vmca FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 39

FTSDB Results Page FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 40

FTSDB Combined THA FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 41

FTSDB Results Page FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 42

FTSDB Single THA FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 43

FTSDB Update Page FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 44

FTSDB New THA FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 45

FTSDB Single THA FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 46

FTSDB THA Input Wizard Summary FAA Flight Test Risk management Federal Aviation Administration 47