The aircraft accident that happened over the last 10 years has been classified into six categories according to their main contributing factors. Those results would have been the same if the figures represented the last 30 years or just the last year. The category is the largest one. It represents 70% of the accident. This figure represents all the accidents where the crew could really have don...

A review and analysis of unmanned aircraft (UA) accident data was conducted to identify important human factors issues related to their use. UA accident data were collected from the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force. Classification of the accident data was a two-step process. In the first step, accidents were classified into the categories of human factors, maintenance, aircraft, and unknown. Acci...

This paper extends a safety analysis based on a multi-agent dynamic risk model (DRM) of a future mix mode taxiing into position and hold (TIPH) operation. The TIPH operation aims at placing an aircraft on the mixed mode runway, ready for immediate takeoff as soon as takeoff clearance has been issued by the air traffic controller. In the previous safety analysis, accident risk results were obtai...

BACKGROUND Specimens from aviation accident pilot fatalities are submitted to the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) for toxicological analyses. Trends of fatal amateur-built aircraft accidents and toxicological findings in the associated pilot fatalities have not been examined. METHODS Fatal amateur-built aircraft accidents that occurred during 1990-2009 were evaluated by retrieving in...

In aviation, it is common to have several aircraft operating in similar conditions uneventfully, yet another aircraft, following suit, experiences an accident in the same conditions. With the same information available to crews of both aircraft, conditions can quickly change leading to an accident for one, while the other crews land safely. Should this situational ambiguity be the cause of the ...

The number of fatal accidents involving public transport aircraft has increased significantly in recent years and, because more and more "wide-bodied" aircraft have been coming into service, this has resulted in a rapid increase in the number of fatalities. A combined attack on the problem by all concerned with flight safety is required to improve the situation. The collection and analysis of a...

Matthew Greaves is a Senior Lecturer in the Safety and Accident Investigation Centre at Cranfield University. Prior to joining Cranfield, he worked for the science and technology organization QinetiQ. He holds an engineering degree and a Ph.D. in aircraft engine noise and vibration. His research deals with the application of technology to the accident investigation process and he is an ESASI co...

The majority of fatal aircraft accidents are associated with ‘loss-of-control’. Yet the notion of loss-of-control is not well-defined in terms suitable for rigorous control systems analysis. Loss-of-control is generally associated with flight outside of the normal flight envelope, with nonlinear influences, and with an inability of the pilot to control the aircraft. The two primary sources of n...

The United States general aviation fleet is aging with aircraft manufactured 35–39 years ago representing the most prevalent group. Since older aircraft are more prone to airframe corrosion, fatigue, and brittle electrical wiring, the present study was undertaken to determine whether malfunction-related accidents for general aviation aircraft manufactured between 1970 and 1984 were elevated rel...