Flight test safety

Flight test safety covers those safety aspects involved with flight-testing of an aircraft. It includes the aircraft, special subsystems, test equipment, procedures, and personnel involved in the flight tests. Range safety is a major component of flight test safety. 

Flight test safety-related hazards and safety concerns include ... 

Although, in theory, testing is required only in cases where those skilled in the art would require it to be reasonably sure of success for the intended use, certain subject matter almost always must be tested. A leading example of this is airplane inventions. Actual flight tests are generally required (6). Complex mechanical structures are another example. Common sense brings others to mind. For example, an invention intended as a foolproof safety device would probably always require testing under actual use conditions. 

Following the successful completion of the orbital flight test phase of the Shuttle program, the system was declared to be operational. Subsequently, several safety, reliabihty, and quality assurance organizations found themselves with reduced and/or reorganized functional capabilities.. . . The apparent reason for such actions was a perception that less safety, reliability, and quality assurance activity would be required during routine Shuttle operations. This reasoning was faulty. 

A key component developed as part of the VSTL is irrrproved vehicle self-awareness. A number of automated safety arrd health-based behaviors have been implemented to support simple, reliable, safe access to flight testing. Several command and control applications provide an irrterface between the operator and the vehicles. The level of interaction includes remotely piloted, low-level task control and high-level mission management. The mission management apphcation was used to explore opportunities associated with health-based adaptations and obtain some initial information. 

Paper presented programme uses neutral network to optimize the flight test programme as well, according to the Customer s requirements, at a proposed cost, with safety of both the staff and the aircraft provided. 

An FOL is a temporary hazard mitigating control (flight operation restriction) that is established for a flight test to prevent the occurrence of an identified hazard or safety concern that cannot be mitigated through design prior to the flight test. 

Advantages of wind tunnels over flight testing are economy, safety, and research versatility. A model airplane can be tested in a wind tunnel at a fraction of the cost of building and operating a full-scale prototype, and the airworthiness of new and experimental designs can be tested without risking a... 

Working with the Design team. Test Pilot and HF Specialist, it is recommended that the System Safety Engineer extends each of the techniques above to specifically address how the failure conditions will be detected by the flight crew. The required information will depend on the degree of urgency for recognition and corrective action by the crew. It should be in the standardised (refer Step lb) form of ... 

Working with the flight crew (e.g. test pilots) and the HF Specialist, the safety engineer needs to coordinate the drafting of appropriate instructions on how to deal with system failures should they occur (regardless of their probability of occurrence). Under the EASA system, this issue of these instructions forms part of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) (refer EASA Part 21 and C25 Appendix H). 

The illustration in Fig. 10.7 attempts to summarise the key processes for a typical OWA. Most of these steps are completed by an HF specialist, with close cooperation and input from experienced flight crew (e.g. test pilots) and the System Safety Engineer(s). 

Lot sample testing is carried out when subsequent/multiple lots tire manufactured or procured for any flight program. Random samples of 3-6% of the lot shall be subjected to critical performance and safety tests. This is to confirm that the safety tolerance of the cells remains the same for the subsequent new lots of cells manufactured. 

The ITA should be endowed with the authority and the responsibility to gather its own data, make its own analyses, and run its own tests of hardware and software. Such informational independence will be costly, as the ITA will duplicate the efforts of others. But independent information will vastly reduce ITA s dependence on other NASA safety bodies. Finally, the ITA should be staffed and administered by people with backgrounds that do not include employment in NASA s manned space flight program. Eveiy organization develops its own norms, values, and assumptions. These norms and assumptions color the way organizational members view the world and... 

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