Safety Benefits Analysis of General Aviation Cockpit Standardization

Details

• Creators:
  Beddow, Bruce E. ; Berger, Sidney ; Roberts, Charles E., Jr.
• Corporate Creators:
  Kappa Systems, Inc.
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Air Pilots Aviation Fuels Cockpits Cockpit Standardization Human Error Improper Operation Of Powerplant Mismanagement Of Fuel Pilot Error Pilot Restriction
• Publication/ Report Number:
  DOT/FAA/CT-82/143
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final Report
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. William J. Hughes Technical Center
• Abstract:
  The purpose of this study was to assess the societal benefits that may be gained by implementation of cockpit standardization as a countermeasure to fuel mismanagement accidents and accidents involving improper operation of the powerplant and powerplant controls. The benefits are expressed as the costs of accidents which could be prevented by standardization. Detailed analyses were performed on a sample of 200 accident cases drawn from the National Transportation Safety Board files which contain 2,011 accidents in the period 1975-1979 due to the specified causes. The flight environment, aircraft and pilot characteristics, and their interrelation were fully considered in studies of accident causes. The accident pilot-group which contained many high time pilots with advanced certificates was found less qualified with regard to recent night flying and instrument flight time. Fuel systems for all makes and model aircraft of the sample were found to contain great diversity in location of components and operating modes. Powerplant controls are not as diverse in design but still do not conform totally to recommended optimization guidelines. Preventability is determined by identification of all elemental pilot errors in an accident and overlaying these on an application of standardization guidelines applied to the controls, instruments, and arrangements. Average accident costs are determined by a severity index breakdown and then carefully extrapolated to the full accident data base. Cumulative accident cost reductions are found for a 10-year future period. A proposal for alleviating the pilot non-familiarity with specific makes and models is included. In this area, an advisory approach is found preferable to certification and rating structural changes.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  DTFA03-81-C-00058
• Collection(s):
  FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center for Advanced Aerospace
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4f02efb7c9dd9b51018f898af3f228973ae83127e99ab658d549e9f26ed1b402c87969d8c4ce2579567b695802557065ee00b9afba9438fdf8d6e205904ad1fa
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/92392/dot_92392_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 4.19 MB ]