Developing Proactive Methods for General Aviation Data Collection

Details

• Creators:
  Shappell, S. A. ; Hackworth, Carla ; Holcomb, Kali ; Lanicci, John ; Bazargan, Massoud ; Baron, Jaclyn ; Iden, Rebecca ; Halperin, Daniel
• Corporate Creators:
  Clemson University ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. Civil Aerospace Medical Institute ; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Prescott Campus)
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Data collection
  • General aviation
  • Weather conditions
  • General aviation pilots
  • Surveys
  • Human factors
  • Education and training
  • General Aviation
  • Aviation Weather Encounters
  • Weather Knowledge
  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  DOT/FAA/AM-10/16
• Resource Type:
  Research Paper
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. Office of Aerospace Medicine
• Abstract:
  Introduction. Over the last 20 years, nearly 40,000 general aviation (GA) aircraft were involved in accidents, ; roughly 20% of which were fatal. To address this safety concern, scientists have often relied on accident data. ; Because of the rare nature of accidents, commercial aviation incident and near miss data may prove to be useful ; sources of safety information. In one such study, the National Transportation Safety Board interviewed GA ; pilots that were flying near a weather-related accident in pursuit of a different perspective than that of the ; accident pilot. Interviewing GA pilots about their own weather-related event may provide similar benefits. ; Method. To understand factors leading GA pilots to encounter adverse weather conditions, pilots involved in an ; adverse weather encounter were interviewed using a one-hour structured interview. The interview was developed ; using surveys utilized by National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Federal Aviation ; Administration (FAA). In total, 27 pilots who experienced an adverse weather encounter were interviewed, of ; which 25 were included in the final analysis. ; Results. Previous studies conducted by the FAA and others found many GA accidents involving flight into ; adverse weather were categorized as a willful disregard for the rules and regulations of safety; violations as defined ; by the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System. Contrary to what the accident record seems to ; suggest, flight into adverse weather may also be influenced by the lack of appreciation/understanding of the ; hazards associated with adverse weather. Perhaps some encounters with adverse weather were motivated by ; outside influences or exacerbated by some manner of mechanical failure that may have led to the willful ; acceptance of unnecessary hazards. ; Conclusions. These data suggest that current beliefs surrounding flight into adverse weather by GA pilots may be ; incomplete. The data presented here suggest that additional effort should be placed in training, both ab initio ; and recurrent. Emphasis should be placed on ensuring a full understanding of the adverse impact of weather, ; including the recognition of instrument meteorological conditions, icing, convective events, etc. Likewise, with ; the proliferation of commercial weather products and on-board weather equipment, it may be time to move ; toward some form of standard weather package that all pilots would review before flying.
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• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  AM-HRR 521
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/6411/dot_6411_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1017.45 KB]
• Collection(s):
  FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute ; US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b96cc879ef9f1e2f2c1b56ab276317bab95b9a201006ea2788053a1938d834fe1b7e326feb91286fa5d4ee5b5b7de67b193aaeb0de13fa9b9d404aeea54663ce