Lecture 7: Flight Data Flashcards

Question

QAR System Evolution

Answer 1

Many more parameters, and often higher sample rates * Additional DFDAU with voluntary portion retrofitted * More advanced ways to download, or transmit the data

Answer 2

Airlines use this data for many purposes, including * Operational control * Maintenance tracking and trend monitoring * Improving dispatch reliability, * But perhaps most importantly for.... * Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA)

Answer 3

* FOQA, also known as Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) or Flight Data Analysis (FDA) is part of an airline’s Safety Management System (SMS) FOQA is the routine monitoring of de-identified flight data for the purpose of * Proactively identifying safety issues * Recognizing trends; and * Taking corrective action before situations worsen, such as --->* Changes to procedures or training * Sharing safety information with other operators.

Answer 4

see slides

Answer 5

Hopefully by preventing one. * However, if an accident does happen and an investigation is required, a review of historical FOQA/FDM data can; * Help determine if an event or underlying factor is an outlier or systemic * If it is systemic, understand what factors are common amongst the events

Answer 6

* A DHC-8 was inbound to Sault Ste. Marie, at twilight with reduced visibility due to an advancing weather system. * The aircraft’s approach became unstable at 200 feet, and it drifted well below the glide path. * The crew lost visual reference, but continued * The aircraft ‘landed’ short of the runway, and was significantly damaged.

Answer 7

Examination of the aircraft’s FDR determined that the aircraft’s airspeed on approach was not stable, as required by the operator’s procedures. Examination of bulk FOQA/FDM data was able to determine that the decelerating approach was in fact systemic amongst the entire fleet.

Answer 8

Aircraft, especially modern ones, are full of numerous different things that aren’t intended as recorders, but are recording a lot of data. * Some of the most common units accessed following an event are * Terrain awareness and warning systems (TAWS, GPWS, etc) * Engine control units (ECUs, EECs, FADEC, etc). * Flight control computers (FCCs) * General rule of thumb is if it’s computer controlled in some way, it likely has memory.

Answer 9

non volatile memory

Answer 10

There are a few other sources of data, that might be found in a aircraft, but aren’t necessarily part of the aircraft. * Phones and tablets, especially if running foreflight or similar. * Phone based data recorders (Wi-flight) * Handheld GPS.

Answer 11

Data monitoring is not limited to airlines. * Radar, Audio, ASDE, MLAT, and ADS-B data is also monitored and recorded.

Answer 12

Before we can present the data we must * Synchronize the data * Data integrity checks * Reasonableness checks * Correlations checks * Parameter source * Etc.. Understanding the limitations of the data * Sample rates * Latencies * Stale data * Accuracy * Resolution/Precision Deriving parameters that aren’t recorded * Trajectory * True Airspeed * Groundspeed * Geometric height * Height AGL * Angle of attack * Aerodynamic coefficients

Answer 13

There are four common ways to look at flight data, and to communicate this data with others. * Tabular data / Spreadsheets * Graphical Plots * Geo-based flight paths * Animations. * Each has it’s advantages and disadvantages

Answer 14

Advantages * Easiest way to find an exact number Disadvantages * Hard to visualize * The extensive amount of data can be hard to scan through

Answer 15

Advantages * Can summarize a lot of data on one page * Data can be limited to what is relevant. Disadvantages * Hard to visualize * Need to be studied to notice significant events * Can be difficult for non trained persons to follow

Answer 16

Advantages * Easy to understand and communicate * Can often tell the story in one photo. Disadvantages * Limited amount of information * Info is low fidelity * May oversimplify the event

Answer 17

Advantages * Very effective way of communicating * Can help understand how many details interrelate * Powerful and compelling * Easy to disseminate Animation - Disadvantages * Time consuming to get right. * May present inaccuracies depending on modeling * Not great for understanding human factors * Hard to get the weather / visibility / scenery representative of the real condition * Improvements being made with X-plane.