Flight Safety Digest

These are the Flight Safety Digest bulletins issued by Flight Safety Foundation during 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.
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2005
Date Subject
October 2005
Analysis of Crew Conversations Provides Insights for Accident Investigation.New methods of examining recorded voice communications can help investigators evaluate interactions between flight crewmembers and determine the quality of the work environment on the flight deck.
August-Sebtember 2005
Lessons From the Dawn of Early Ultra-long-range Flight. Validation studies of nonstop flights between Singapore and the United States show that recommended operational guidelines developed by Flight Safety Foundation can help airlines worldwide to expand their operational envelope while maintaining safety.
July 2005
Here Come the Very Light Jets. Unique training programs are being developed to meet the challenges of safely assimilating the forecast influx of VLJs, many of which will be flown by relatively inexperienced owner-pilots.
June 2005
‘Paperless Cockpit’ Promises Advances in Safety & Efficiency. Electronic flight bags are eliminating considerable paper from the flight deck while offering the flight crew a wide array of technological assistance. Nevertheless, these still-changing tools require more than casual understanding before flight crews can replace paper with electronics.
May 2005
See What’s Sharing Your Airspace. Trans-Pacific flights by a nearly 26,000-pound gross weight U.S. Air Force Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) helped drive the current quest for commercial applications. Flying UAVs in civil airspace demands solutions to problems such as collision avoidance and failure of data/communication links with a ground-based pilot thousands of miles from the aircraft.
April 2005
Understanding the Stall-recovery Procedure for Turboprop Airplanes in Icing Conditions. Current pilot training typically emphasizes powering through a stall recovery with no loss of altitude. Nevertheless, when flying a turboprop airplane that has accumulated ice, lowering the nose to reduce angle-of-attack is imperative. Here’s why.
March 2005
A Roadmap to a Just Culture: Enhancing the Safety Environment-Even an organization that promotes a ‘no blame’ culture cannot tolerate irresponsible or careless acts. This report offers guidelines for a ‘just culture’ that balances trust, which encourages reporting of safety-related information, with strict but fair consequences for unacceptable behavior.
February 2005
Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) Provides Data on Threats and Errors.Structured observations of routine flight operations help reveal an airline’s strengths and weaknesses. The nonpunitive data-collection program — a planned cornerstone of internationally required safety management systems — is being adapted to other areas, including flight dispatch, apron operations and air traffic control.
January 2005
In-flight Medical Incapacitation and Impairment of U.S. Airline Pilots: 1993 to 1998. A study by the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration found that in-flight medical events involving U.S. airline pilots were rare.
2004
Date Subject
December 2004
Vulnerabilities Warrant Attention as Satellite-based Navigation Grows, The International Civil Aviation Organization and other authorities recommend backup inertial-reference systems, ground-based navaids, and radar surveillance and vectoring to mitigate interference — unintentional and intentional — with navigation signals from space. Improved satellites and augmentation systems will help to lessen risks under instrument flight rules.
November 2004
RVSM Heightens Need for Precision in Altitude Measurement. Technological advances have honed the accuracy of aircraft altimeters, but false indications still can occur at any altitude or flight level. Some involve limitations of the altimeters themselves, but most are associated with the ‘weak link’ in altimetry — the human.
October 2004
Reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) has been applied in many regions. Experience has shown that increased traffic congestion below RVSM airspace and wake-turbulence encounters in RVSM airspace have not been significant problems.
September 2004
Charts Raise Pilot Awareness of Minimum Vectoring Altitudes
August 2004
Flight crews primarily use their judgment to identify and report hard landings, but recorded flight data also might be useful to gauge the severity of the impact before a conditional maintenance inspection is performed.
June-July 2004
On 2005, nonpunitive flight-data monitoring will become an international standard for operators of some commercial transport aircraft.
May 2004
Loss of control was the second leading cause of fatal business jet accidents worldwide from 1991 through 2002. Inadequate crew coordination and monitoring were cited in the majority of business jet incidents.
April 2004
Notices to airmen (NOTAMs) are essential to flight safety. A survey of dispatchers, and an analysis of the human factors aspects of the formatting and distributing NOTAMs show that the system has not technological advances and is in need of redesign.
March 2004
Recent accidents have prompted the International Civil Aviation Organization to clarify that pilots must comply immediately with airborne collision avoidance system resolution advisories.
2003
Date Subject
July-August 2003
Loss of Control: Returning From Beyond the Envelope
May-June 2003
Consensus Emerges From International Focus on Crew Alertness in Ultra-long-range Operations
March-April 2003
The Human Factors Implications for Flight Safety of Recent Developments in the Airline Industry
February 2003
Pilot Selection Systems Help Predict Performance
January 2003
Most Fatal U.S. Commercial Helicopter Accidents Occur in Instrument Meteorological Conditions
2002
Date Subject
December 2002
International Efforts Raise Awareness to Prevent Approach-and-landing Accidents
November 2002
Future Developments and Challenges in Aviation Safety
October 2002
Maintenance Resource Management Programs Provide Tools for Reducing Human Error
August-September 2002
Special Issue: Jerry Lederer: Mr. Aviation Safety
July 2002
roneous ILS Indications Pose Risk of Controlled Flight Into Terrain
May-June 2002
Special Double Issue: Operator’s Flight Safety Handbook
March-April 2002
Special Double Issue: Data Show That U.S. Wake-turbulence Accidents Are Most Frequent at Low Altitude and During Approach and Landing
February 2002
Runway Incursion Severity Trends at Towered Airports in the United States: 1997–2000
January 2002
ALAR Regional Implementation Campaign Reaches Key Objective of Introducing Safety Tools in Africa
To download all 2002 Newsletters (6 files) in a compressed file (zip) 6,963KB Please Click here
2001
Date Subject
November-December 2001
Controlled Flight Into Terrain: A Study of Pilot Perspectives in Alaska
August-September 2001
Special Double Issue: Regional Initiatives Launched: Momentum Builds in Regional ALAR Implementation Efforts
July 2001
An Analysis of the Safety Performance of Air Cargo Operators
June 2001
Aviation Operational Safety Audit Appraises Aviation Department Safety, Efficiency and The Practice of Aviation Safety
April-May 2001
Special Double Issue: Human Error Cited as Major Cause of U.S. Commercial EMS Helicopter Accidents
March 2001
Understanding Airplane Turbofan Engine Operation Helps Flight Crews Respond to Malfunctions
February 2001
Human Factors Checklist Provides Tool For Accident/Incident Investigation
January 2001
Q-Star Verification Process Provides Safety Assessment of Aircraft Charter Providers
To download all 2001 Newsletters (6 files) in a compressed file (zip) 2,977KB Please Click here