Flight Test Safety Committee

The Flight Test Safety Committee (FTSC) was formed jointly in November 1994 by members of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP), the Society of Flight Test Engineers (SFTE) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). These and numerous additional organizations presently comprise the FTSC. The purpose of the FTSC is to initiate and sustain a flight test related safety organization intended to promote flight safety, reduce the risk of mishap, promote risk reduction management and continually improve the profession's communication and coordination.
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Flight Test Safety Fact 19-11

It’s been over a month since SETP’s Annual Symposium, so I’ve had time to dig through the program, papers, and slides.  Unfortunately, the news cycle doesn’t stop, so I’ve split my time between corresponding with those who presented at and attended the symposium and watching the headlines.  You will find samples from both of these domains in this month’s newsletter.  

The Chairman introduces the Joint Authorities Technical Review (JATR) and encourages you to read it, but he also applies some of its findings to our field, raising some poignant questions.  Additionally, you’ll read the observations from one of our newsletter’s past subjects; he attended the Symposium for the first time. The last section is a paper presented at the Symposium, but before I introduce it, let me explain why I selected it. 

While reading some research about crew resource management, I came across this finding:
“No differences were found between the severity of the errors made by effective and ineffective crews; rather, it was the ability of the effective crews to communicate that kept their errors from snowballing into undesirable outcomes” [1].
This finding is simply astounding.

Our words have the power of life and death.  I think you have heard me say that before, but the topic of communication will continue to appear in these pages often.  That’s on purpose. In this newsletter, we’ve published a paper that not only addresses an important technical test but also illuminates the communication challenges encountered by the test team.  Communication is hard, and getting it right is worth the effort. That’s why you will find Roger Hehr’s paper included in this newsletter. An excerpt is reprinted herein, and the entire paper is *attached* inside the newsletter together with the Chairman’s Annual Flight Test Safety Committee report.  You can find both of these by selecting the paper-clip icon inside your pdf reader.

As a reminder, a future issue of the FTSF will address the topic of AI, so send your questions, suggestions, links and papers about the topic to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or to the Chairman.

Sincerely,
Mark Jones Jr.

For convenience and added security, you can download the complete newsletter here.

Reference:
1. J. Bryan Sexton and Robert L. Helmreich, “Analyzing Cockpit Communication: The Links Between Language, Performance, Error, and Workload.”

Flight Test Safety Database Update

The Flight Test Safety Database is once again available to everyone (registered and non-registered users alike) at http://ftsdb.grc.nasa.gov/. If you have any difficulties with any database function do not hesitate to send Bart Henwood an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call at (661) 276-5746.

Please pass this info on to your colleagues and friends within the flight test community. In the months to come the database will be relocating to a different server and may have a new URL. Bart Henwood will send emails indicating any changes before that transition occurs and the Flight Test Safety Committee will provide updates here on the homepage.

Thank you all for your patience and support for the Flight Test Safety Database.

Flight Test Safety Fact 19-10

Thirty years ago, my high school still offered a typing class.  At the time, I convinced the principal of my small school to let me drop the class and add an elective math class.  His great concern was that I learn how to type.  I told him that I would install a "typing tutor" application on my computer with its 386 processor.  The software was "smart" enough to know what letters I could type and provide me additional exercises for those I had not mastered.  I mention this anecdote because it marked a transition in the way people learned knowledge and acquired skills.

As flight test professionals, we are at a similar crossroad.  Our ability to teach and train flight test and its related safety and risk management disciplines must adapt to the time we have available and accommodate the technology.  In 1989, software did not include machine learning or artificial intelligence--this is a topic I hope to address in the December issue, so if you would like to contribute, please contact the Flight Test Safety Committee, the Chairman, or the Editor, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

This month, however, we present a broad survey of the ways that flight test education and training are changing, spreading, and ultimately adapting.  The articles herein are a snapshot of where we are today. They complement past issues that presented a more in depth look at specific innovations.  Ultimately, I hope they will inform the reader of the possibilities and inspire us to take advantage of the potential that lies before us.

Sincerely,
Mark Jones Jr.

For added security and convenience, you can download the pdf here.

 

Flight Test Safety Fact 19-09

In 1999, Greg Lewis presented a paper to the Flight Test Society of Australia, "Flight Test Safety in Civil Certification," in which he describes unique risks and incidents that occurred during civil certification flight test with government test pilots.  One of the interesting facts in the paper is the first known reference (I think)--in a technical paper--to the FAA's Order 4040.26.  For some of us, it seems like the order always existed, but this paper reminds us that FAA's test safety guidance is relatively young, at least in its current form.  The other thing the paper describes is several flight test aircraft incidents.  The ability to recall incidents like this is important for flight test professionals, because it informs our intuition about the likelihood of the hazards we are assessing. It gives us data by which to assess the confidence of our probability estimates.  Or does it?

That is the question addressed herein -- how confident are we? 

The question may cause some to sweat, bringing memories of Comprehensive Oral exams at TPS or flashback of basic stats class from college, but the heuristics proposed herein should reduce the anxiety of the reader.  These rules will enable us, as a flight test community, to communicate about uncertainty even as we face more it in the years to come.

One last thing about Greg's paper: it's an excellent resource, and the FTSA recently generously shared it with members of our community. So get your hands on a copy and thank your colleagues down under

Finally, please continue to share this newsletter.  Let us know when you do, because we want to Reach Everyone (117%).  Send questions and comments to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or any FTSC member.

Sincerely,
Mark Jones Jr.
Editor

For added security and convenience, you can download the newsletter here.