Accident Problem Set Answers

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Identify the factors given in the report as the cause(s) of the accident. (Please note that the format lists the date followed by the month and then the year.)

 Date: 13/01/82 in Washington, D.C.

Factors: Failure to use engine anti-ice during ground operation and takeoff; decision to take off with snow/ice on airfoils; captain's failure to reject takeoff when instruments gave warning.

 

Date: 23/01/82 in Boston, Massachusetts

Factors: Pilot landed airplane without sufficient information on runway conditions; slippery, ice-covered runway exceeded the airplane's stopping capability.

 

Date: 17/02/91 in Cleveland, Ohio

Factors: Failure of flight crew to detect and remove ice on airplane's wings.

 

Date: 22/03/92 in Flushing, New York

Factors: Departure delay after de-icing (35 minutes) without checking to see that the wings were still free of ice.

 

Date: 11/05/96 in Miami, Florida

Factors: Fire erupted in forward cargo compartment; oxygen generators classified as "HAZMAT" were found in cargo compartment.

 

Date: 17/07/96 in New York City, New York

Factors: Explosion; no reports of problems by crew.

 

1. What measures would you suggest to prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future? Answers will vary. Might discuss better information system, checking for ice on wings as a mandatory procedure, more safety inspections, etc.

    

2. Create a chart showing the total number of fatalities for each of the following decades: 1920's,1930's, 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's.

   Decade	Total Number of Fatalities
   1920-29	39
   1930-39	127
   1940-49	613
   1950-59	1977
   1960-69	7487
   1970-79	12,239
   1980-89	10,572
   1990-present	9,366

3. Next plot a graph of the total number of fatalities in each of the decades.  

    

4. What trends do you observe from your graph? Answers will vary. Possible responses could be: an increase in fatalities with a peak in the 1970's and a slight decrease in the 80's and 90's; few fatalities in the decades of the 1920's through the 1950's in comparison to the decades after the 50's.

    

5. What do you think are the reasons for the trends? Answers will vary. Possible explanations might include an increase in air travel after the 1950's; the decrease in accidents after the 70's could be the result of increased safety and regulations.

    

6. Provide a brief summary of NASA's aviation safety program. Answers given below in 7-10.

    

7. Software Technology Summary:

   This program attempts to enhance safety and security of the National Airspace System by development of (1) technologies for systems control and operations and (2) flight critical software. Two important components of this are the (1) Intelligent System Controls and Operations and (2) Software Integrity, Productivity, and Security.

    

8. Human/Automation Integration Research Summary:

   This program seeks to improve communications between systems designers and human factors experts, to identify and eliminate or reduce risk factors during the design phase, and to improve the operator understanding of automated systems.

    

9. Maintenance Operations and Training Research Summary:

   This program seeks to develop procedures and techniques to clarify roles and responsibilities of aircraft maintenance teams, as well as to develop training techniques to improve response to critical situations.
   

10. Aviation Weather Information Summary:

    The goal of this program is to develop technology to allow pilots, air traffic controllers, and air transport dispatch personnel to be informed accurately and quickly to eliminate the weather as a safety concern.

     

11. Evaluate the measures that NASA and the FAA are attempting to implement to improve aviation safety. Answers will vary. Students should note the breadth of the areas of concern and that technology is a key factor in improving overall safety.