The Right Way to Advance Safety—ERAU!!!
#aviationSafety #ERAU #goaroundprocedure #research #SMS
Everyday aviation has always involved and presently is focused on managing risk. The procedures used by all levels of flight are the product of years of reaffirming practices and a process of seeking improvement continuously. The last two decades have benefitted from the Safety Management Systems’ discipline of identifying risks and designing appropriate actions to enhance safety.
Contrary to these principles, recent changes1 in the FAA’s standards have been propounded with an inadequate level of statistical justification (causation v. correlation). The below article is a prime example of how changes are best brought to the FARs!!!
Dr. Holder and 2nd year PhD student Hui (Angel) Wang did it the right way. With a grant they studied the go-around maneuver, which is executed to avoid potentially unsafe conditions: not to land at the last moment, usually due to weather, traffic, or runway conditions. The time-proven, standard procedure starts with applying full power, retracting flaps and landing gear, and climbing away from the runway. Air Transport Pilots are familiar with this complex set of actions through their initial and recurrent training (usually in a cockpit simulator with a second crew member). However, go-arounds are not very common and can be challenging for the 2 pilots operating an airliner, especially when each must deal with her/his multiple tasks/alerts PLUS communicate what he/she is doing in these crisis-filled events. NOTE: while it is hoped that crew members will be familiar with their assigned partner, scheduling results in new pairs.
The ERAU research team conducted cognitive ethnography studies to observe how pilots handle go-arounds in different scenarios. Data collected from these simulator tests were analyzed. Plus, they culled the NTSB accident reports, which identify the common errors and difficulties that pilots face during go-arounds, to find points which should be improved. Holder-Wang hard data findings justify proposed new procedures and guidelines that should make future go-arounds more effective and safer.
Here is a summary of the recommendations likely to be made soon:
- Simplifying the go-around callouts and checklist items to reduce cognitive load and confusion.
- Standardizing the go-around terminology and phraseology across different airlines and regions.
- Providing clear and consistent guidance on when and how to initiate a go-around.
- Enhancing the flight deck displays and alerts to support situational awareness and decision making during a go-around.
- Developing training programs and scenarios that emphasize the importance and practice of go-arounds.
This is how safety is best served— data collected from all airlines on all continents; analyzing which risks need be prioritized; developing the appropriate remedies to reduce the likelihood of repeated problems; frequent training to reinforce the new improved procedure; and continuous monitoring of the performance. WHEN “ADVANCING SAFETY”, PICKING OUT SOME NUMBER IS NOT A SOUND METHODOLOGY; DR. HOLDER’S TECHNIQUE PROVIDES RELIABLE GAINS.
ERAU Prof Develops Procedures To Boost Go-around Safety
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Report on procedures to be handed to FAA
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University associate professor Barbara Holder and second-year aviation PhD student, Hui (Angel) Wang collaborated on research that could improve flight deck procedures during go arounds. (Photo: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)
By KERRY LYNCH • Editor, AIN monthly magazine
August 17, 2023
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) researchers plan to present a report to the FAA later this year with recommendations on procedures that can be used to help improve the safety of go-arounds. Associate professor Barbara Holder has spearheaded the RESEARCH ON GO-AROUNDS over the past three years under an FAA grant—initially as a technical fellow with Honeywell and now with the university—and recently held a workshop with industry and government leaders to gather feedback on the findings.
The workshop brought together training and flight standards leaders from airlines, manufacturers, the FAA, and NASA. Participants provided thoughts on go-around standardization and training, as well as priorities for future research.
Plans call to summarize the findings and recommendations on the procedures in the report, which the FAA will review and publish next year.
Holder’s research led to the DEVELOPMENT OF PROPOSED PROCEDURES that incorporate joint responsibility for crew call-outs to reduce single-point disruptions, direct attention to the flight path, balance workload among the flight crew, and facilitate recall of the procedure. These were then evaluated by crews at three major U.S. airlines—10 of which flew the Boeing 737 and seven flew the Airbus A320. The crews conducted 18 go-arounds per session and then reported on their experiences.
“The procedure forces you to look at power and pitch and say it, do it, not just recite it,” one pilot reported about the new go-around procedures. Another had said the procedures provided a “consolidated, clear picture,” while others maintained “call-outs are wordy, they seem right,” the university said.
Before conducting the procedures, crews were briefed but were not required to do formal training. They were able to acclimate to the protocols after three to four repetitions. ERAU said the results “showed a decreased risk of error during go-arounds by more appropriately allocating pilots’ cognitive resources.”
“The first phase of the research set out to understand the hazards associated with go-around maneuvers,” Holder said. “We identified 10 mitigations and applied human factors science to develop new go-around procedures for the 737 and A320 aircraft to mitigate the highest risk, which is loss of control in flight. We evaluated those procedures with three airline partners and the results are very promising. Now we are drafting our final report with recommendations to the FAA for their implementation and training.”
ERAU noted the importance of research, expressing concerns that go-arounds come with a potential reduction of situational awareness. The university pointed to an Advancing Safety Through Science report that found that “one out of every 10 reports about go-arounds cite a potentially hazardous outcome, including exceeding aircraft performance limits or fuel endurance.” Further, one out of every six is mishandled, according to the report that was presented to the FAA earlier this year.
“We continue to see risk factors for LOC-I [loss of control inflight] during the go-around in the operational data,” said Holder. “Precursors to loss of control in-flight, such as aerodynamic stall, low airspeed, low altitude, and so on continue to be present in go-around execution across operators and aircraft fleets.”
Holder found go-arounds in training are generally less complicated and more predictable than real-world go-arounds, which can involve any number of complicating factors such as numerous heading and altitude changes directed by air traffic control, noise distractions, a fatigued crew, and operational pressures related to fuel, scheduling, and traffic and more. She maintained that to improve safety, the gap between training and the real world must be closed.
Assisting Holder in this research is a second-year aviation Ph.D. student, Hui (Angel) Wang, who also earned her master’s degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle, as well as her bachelor’s in air traffic management.
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