International Journal of Aviation Research

Compatible Land Use for Heliports and Vertiports

2024-01-05T16:04:51+00:00

Airport land use planning is crucial for safety, long-term utility, and environmental congruity. While there have been a number of studies of aircraft accidents in reference to runways for the purposes of safety and land use standards, little research exists on safety and land use compatibility for heliports and no such data exists for vertiports. This study aimed to provide a better understanding of safety and land use issues near heliports through a focus on the geographic distribution of helicopter accidents in relation to the point of takeoff or landing. The findings of this study provide initial guidance for the design of land use compatibility and safety zones pertaining to heliports and how these can be adapted to vertiports. Accident data exhibited a stochastic spatial pattern of accident occurrences, with the highest concentration occurring within a proximity of 40 feet from the designated takeoff/landing location. Almost all (90%) accidents took place within 400 feet of the takeoff/landing reference point. Sizes and shapes of safety and land use zones are outlined. Recommendations for future studies are also provided.

Unstable Approaches: Exploring the Legal, Linguistic, and Sociocognitive Dimensions

2024-01-25T17:12:03+00:00

The Flight Safety Foundation (2017) states that the approach and landing phases of a flight are the most critical and statistically risky, accounting for approximately 65 percent of all accidents annually. Unstable approaches have been a longstanding hazard in aviation, and addressing this issue as well as reducing approach and landing accidents has been a top priority for aviation organizations. To achieve this goal, extensive research has been conducted on various aspects of the issue, including training, human factors, pilot experience, and compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs), and informative materials developed by globally recognized organizations such as IATA and CANSO. Additionally, proactive measures such as Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) have been implemented by airlines to effectively manage the issue by capturing the relevant variables and trends. However, despite these significant efforts, unstable approaches continue to pose a persistent threat to aviation safety. Shockingly, 95-97% of these approaches do not result in a Go-around, contrary to established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

This discrepancy highlights a significant gap between the vital level of research and procedures in place to address the real time operational problems faced by pilots and air traffic controllers, Underscoring the need for more effective remedial actions to prevent accidents and incidents resulting from unstable approaches. This paper aims to propose some solutions at the operational level based on a data-driven approach, utilizing air accidents and incidents reports and existing documents. The propounded solutions take sociocognitive, psychosocial, linguistic, legal, regulatory and training aspects of the issue into account.

Investigating Retention Solutions for Women in Aviation Education and Flight Training

2024-02-09T13:13:51+00:00

Despite advancements, women remain underrepresented in the aviation industry, particularly in pilot roles. Addressing this disparity, a university initiated the Womenâ€™s Ambassador Mentoring Program (WAMP) to enhance the recruitment and retention of female aviation students pursuing an aeronautical science degree. Concerns persist about insufficient support systems hindering progress. This study employs a transformative mixed methodology, utilizing both publicly available quantitative data and qualitative insights from program-involved students. The research assesses the growth in female aviation students compared to certified pilots, examining the university's enrollment and retention of female students over time. Emphasizing the necessity of a supportive culture, the study highlights the importance of connectivity and positive relationships for current and aspiring women pilots in sustaining their presence in the aviation industry.

Bayesian Inference and Aviation Safety

2024-02-10T04:41:34+00:00

Organisational failure is at the root of many aircraft accidents. Organisational decision making infects individual decision making. Based on data retrieved from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, and concentrating on a specific geographic area of general aviation operations in the far north of the State of Queensland, this paper examines how organisational failures can dramatically increase accident probability under certain conditions. Using Bayes' theorem, we seek to quantify the effects, and to consequently help to improve the safety of general aviation operations, particularly in remote areas.

A Double Taboo? An Exploratory Study of Mental Health Perceptions amongst Black Aerospace Professionals

2024-08-12T14:58:34+00:00

This exploratory study delves into the overlooked realm of mental health needs and experiences amongst Black Americans who are also Black aerospace professionals, shedding light on a “double taboo” within a historically stigmatized industry and marginalized community. Due to the paucity of research focusing exclusively on the mental health of Black aerospace professionals and drastic increase in mental health events in the U.S., the purpose of this study was to understand the mental health needs and experiences of Black aerospace professionals. The central research question that guided this study asked, “How do Black aerospace professionals characterize their experiences with mental health?” A mixed-methods approach was used to garner the participants experiences and perceptions of mental health through the acquisition of qualitative and quantitative data. The qualitative facet resulted in 10 themes emerging: Being a Black American/Aerospace Professional, “Everyday” Struggles, Culture of Fear, Jeopardizing Job Security, Mixed Managerial Messaging, Mental Health Prioritization, Sources of Support (SOS), Representation Woes, Lack of Standardization, and Societal Acceptance, Awareness, and Access. The survey solicited 75 completed responses and the findings confirmed much of what is already known - the mental health experience for Black Americans and Black aerospace professionals has been largely negative due to fear of reprisal or termination, unsupportive work environments, a lack of access to mental health resources, and when they are sought, a lack of representation in the health services. These results were further supported by the chi-squared tests conducted for the quantitative facet. The study adds a renewed sense of gravitas by showcasing that when access is not an issue, the work environment is supportive and leadership provides encouragement, and (representative) sources of support are available (e.g., EAP or trusted confidants), mental health challenges are addressed effectively, efficiently, and mitigated. These findings inform several recommendations for policy and practice governmental and industry leadership should consider to improve the mental health experiences of Black aerospace professionals. The study underscores the importance of breaking the double taboo—mental health within the aerospace community and within the Black community—which requires targeted efforts to destigmatize and promote open conversations about mental health

Evaluating Crew Resource Management (CRM) and Single-Pilot Resource Management (SRM) in Aviation

2024-10-12T12:27:08+00:00

Objective: This paper aimed to showcase the safety advancements achieved in both commercial aviation and general aviation by presenting accident and fatality data from 2000 to 2019. The primary objective was to unveil the influence of Crew Resource Management (CRM) in commercial aviation by examining its implementation process and contrasting it with Single-Pilot Resource Management (SRM) in general aviation, with the goal of determining a more effective approach for implementing SRM.
Background: Despite several efforts made in the last decade, general aviation still accounts for 94% of civil aviation accidents. In 2018, a slight increase in GA accidents was recorded compared to the previous year (2017). For this reason, general aviation safety has become a significant concern for the aviation industry. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the impact of CRM and SRM.
Methodology: A mixed-methods research design was used for this study. It is particularly valuable for showcasing the safety advancements achieved in both commercial aviation and general aviation. The data were collected from the report generated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and advisory circular 120-51E.
Results: The analysis of the data revealed that CRM has played a critical role in mitigating human errors and enhancing flight safety in commercial aviation, and its effectiveness can be linked to the components and fundamentals of CRM training implementation. However, its counterpart, SRM, hasn’t produced significant results in general aviation compared to CRM.
Conclusions: Analysis of commercial aviation accident data from 2000 to 2019 revealed that CRM training has produced the desired outcomes, mitigated human error and improved safety. On the other hand, SRM has not been as effective compared to CRM in mitigating human errors and enhancing flight safety. Further investigation revealed that a lack of consistent and monitored human factors awareness training in GA might have contributed to the lower effectiveness of SRM. Therefore, an effective approach to implementing SRM will involve incorporating consistent and monitored human factors awareness training as part of SRM training.

Safety climate of aircraft maintenance personnel in Nigeria

2024-10-12T12:37:03+00:00

This study used a safety climate questionnaire adapted from Commercial Aviation Safety Survey (CASS) as data
collection instrument to investigate safety climate factors of aircraft maintenance personnel in Nigeria aviation
industry. The CASS questionnaire was modified to accommodate the peculiarities of the safety climate in maintenance
repair and overhaul organization (MRO)using four main factors and twelve sub factors. Multiple regression model
was used as tool to analyse the data on safety climate of aircraft maintenance personnel. In the first case scenario,
the multiple regression results using error tendency against the linear combination of the safety climate factors
indicated that the equation containing the 15 variables accounted for 41.2 percent of the variations in error tendency
in aircraft maintenance in MRO personnel that is significant at the 5 percent level. In the second case scenario, the
multiple regression results using error tendency against the linear combination of the 7 safety climate factors
indicated that the factors accounted for about 27.3 percent of the variations in error tendency in aircraft maintenance.
It is recommended that focus should be shifted by management to response and feedback on reported safety issues,
safety fundamentals, reward system, employee empowerment, and management involvement that are unfavorable in
ranking in this study. This shift in focus is expected to drive relevant and necessary changes that can help improve
safety with the MROs.

The role of Organizational theory for the Formulation of a Sustainable Model applicable to Air Traffic Management and Control Operations

2024-10-12T12:42:10+00:00

This paper provides a comprehensive introduction to Air Traffic Management (ATM), which encompasses Air Traffic Control (ATC) procedures, Reduced Separation Vertical Minima (RVSM) and Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) schemes. It also discusses the role of these and other elements in promoting environmental sustainability and the key factors essential for creating effective aviation operations. The main objective of this paper is to identify and select the most relevant components for establishing a theoretical framework for sustainable ATM and ATC practices. Notably, the organizational theory is used in this paper, aiming to create a firm theoretical model that can support sustainability in the aviation sector. In the paper, a theoretical model based on the organizational theory is created, considering the basic operational principles of ATM. Additionally, the paper highlights principles and professional activities essential to ATM and examines how sustainability can be integrated into these operations. The proposed organizational theory framework is a theoretical approach that considers operational tasks in ATM and basic sustainability principles. This model aims to promote the creation and application of a model that will support a sustainability culture among ATM professionals and leaders. Finally, by developing the proposed theoretical model, this paper aims to increase awareness and encourage adopting sustainable practices in ATM and ATC professionals.

Caffeine Consumption Patterns and Beliefs Among Collegiate Aviation Students

2024-03-19T04:11:06+00:00

Caffeine is a widely used stimulant on college campuses, while there has been limited research on caffeine consumption in the collegiate aviation environment. In this study, the authors examined the usage and impact of caffeine consumption on collegiate flight students. Surveying 202 students enrolled in a collegiate flight program at a public university in the Midwestern region of the U.S., the authors investigated: (1) prevalence of caffeine consumption, (2) reasons for caffeine intake, (3) perceived effects of consuming caffeine, and (4) attitudes toward caffeine. Findings suggested that 96.5% of collegiate flight students had consumed caffeine at some point, with 22% reporting daily consumption and 66% consuming caffeine once per day. Furthermore, a one-way ANOVA revealed a significant increase in weekly caffeine intake with age (p = 0.011), and participants with higher levels of certificates or ratings consumed significantly more caffeine on both a weekly (p < 0.001) and daily (p < 0.001) basis. The primary motivations for caffeine consumption included energy increase before class (56%), personal enjoyment (52%), and extended wakefulness (43%). Despite experiencing both positive and negative effects, many caffeine users maintained a positive attitude towards its consumption, perceiving it as safe and beneficial for academic and flight performance. While caffeine consumption may not be a significant concern for the majority of aviation students, there is still room for improvement in managing its usage and increasing awareness of its potential impacts. Promoting better alternatives, such as prioritizing sufficient sleep and adopting healthy eating habits, can contribute to overall well-being.

Government Funding Gap Impacts on Commercial Aviation Safety

2024-03-23T22:38:30+00:00

Government funding gaps are common and have occurred throughout the years. Each funding gap will lead to the stoppage of government agencies. This paper studies the relationship between funding gaps and commercial aviation safety during 1978-2020. It showed that the funding gap has no statistically significant impact on commercial aviation safety in terms of accidents, however through the literature review it does affect aviation negatively through both safety and economy. The recommendations to avoid funding gap fallout include prioritizing crucial services such as aviation and national safety, and addressing matters which may compromise the security of the public during the budget process. Government agencies, including the FAA, should be mandated to develop contingency plans that would address such funding gaps, such as designating the emergency fund to keep the aviation safety function running during the shutdown and purchasing insurance against the government shutdown.