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FY15 - WTIC General Aviation (GA) Safety Gap Analyses

Critical Milestones

Sponsor Outcome 

Research Requirement Description

Research Accomplishments in FY15 
        - Identify GA safety risks/hazards related to adverse weather
        - Identify gaps of MET information in GA cockpits
        - Accident rate for personal GA pilots significantly higher than instructional and business GA, and has been relatively flat over 10 year span
        - VFR into IMC and reduced visibility continue to be leading cause of fatalities
        - Sponsors/Collaborations: AFS, AIR, AVS, NextGen, GA JSC, NTSB 
        - List of safety risks/hazards added to Part 91 WTIC MinWxSvc tracking spreadsheet 
        - List of gaps of MET information in the cockpit that are associated with safety risks/hazards incorporated into the Part 91 MinWxSvc tracking spreadsheet
        - Prioritized list, based on research and stakeholder inputs, of operational safety risks/hazards and MET information gaps needing research to develop a resolution/mitigation  
        - Complete gap/shortfall analyses of GA aircraft with current technology and in current operating environments to identify safety hazards/risks and MET information gaps with a potential to be causal factors in a GA accident/incident (FY16)
        - FAA GA Center of Excellent, PEGASAS, completed 3 gap analysis projects that identified gaps associated with current MET products and information, inadvertent flight into IMC, and NTSB/ASRS reported incident/accidents.
        - GA Rendering Project identified gaps associated with recognition of symbol changes and poor contrast on GA presentations, and gaps in pilot decision making
        - Results from gap analyses being incorporated into WTIC spreadsheet for prioritization and resolution development.
        - Continued collaboration with NTSB, AOPA, FAA Small Aircraft Directorate, and FAA Flight Standards 

FY15 HF REDAC Fall  Meeting

Research provider presents Quad chart.   Check with AVS R&D Manager for Funding levels for FY14 through FY17.

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FY15 - WTIC General Aviation (GA) Safety Gap Resolutions

Critical Milestones

Sponsor Outcome 

Research Requirement Description

Research Accomplishments in FY15 
        - Resolve/mitigate GA safety risks/hazards related to adverse weather and cockpit MET information gaps before they result in an accident or incident
        - Safety risks and hazards, and MET information gaps, being tracked in Part 91 MinWxSvc spreadsheet
        - Objective is to reduce overall GA accident rate attributable to adverse weather
        - Sponsors/Collaborations: AFS, AIR, AVS, NextGen, GA JSC, NTSB 
        - Enhanced GA safety by resolving safety-related operational shortfalls and MET information in the cockpit gaps
        - Recommendations for Part 91 MinSxSvc that resolve/mitigate identified MET information in the cockpit gaps and associated safety risks/hazards
        - Scenario based MET training modules and other enhanced MET training for online and class use
        - MET questions suitable for incorporation into the private and commercial pilot exams and for practice 
        - Finalize Mobile MET application MinWxSvc recommendations (FY16)
        - Complete 50-100 exam questions for inclusion in FAA written exams for private and commercial pilots (FY16)
        - Complete training modules suitable for self-study or incorporation into classroom curriculum (FY18)
        - Complete MinWxSvc recommendations for MET rendering to resolve change detection gaps (FY17)
        - Initial recommendations to mitigate 15 gaps identified by PEGASAS Phase 1 research (FY16)
        - PEGASAS completed Phase 2 planning and began research
        - Developed training aid that implements adjustable weather latency.  Collaborating with FRASCA for use in trainers.
        - Preparation for HITL to assess benefits of focused training
        - HITL to assess effects of display factors on pilot decisions
        - Mobile MET HITL showed credible increase in situational awareness, larger distances from hazardous weather, and low performance in discriminating change-detection
        - Tactile cockpit alert to resolve change-blindness reduced IMC encounters by 20% in HITL, but sample size was small
        - Developed and began online assessment to evaluate the impact of MET uncertainty information on pilot confidence 
        - Delivered 100 candidate exam questions to FAA/AFS
        - Crowd sourcing and cloud technology initial assessment

FY15 HF REDAC Fall Meeting

Research provider presents Quad chart.   Check with AVS R&D Manager for Funding levels for FY14 through FY17.

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FY15 - WTIC Part 121/135 Gap Analyses

Critical Milestones

Sponsor Outcome 

Research Requirement Description

Research Accomplishments in FY15 
        - Identify Part 121/135 safety risks and operational inefficiencies related to adverse weather
        - Gap analyses to address current and NextGen operations in adverse weather
        - Support objectives to reduce delays and lower gaseous emissions
        - Sponsors/Collaborations: AFS, AIR, AVS, NextGen, NTSB 
        - List of safety risks and operational inefficiencies added to Part 121/135 WTIC MinWxSvc tracking spreadsheet 
        - List of gaps of MET information in the cockpit that are causal factors of safety risks or operational inefficiencies incorporated into the Part 121/135 MinWxSvc tracking spreadsheet
        - Prioritized list, based on research and stakeholder inputs, of operational shortfalls and MET information gaps needing research to develop a resolution/mitigation  
        - Complete gap and operational shortfall analyses for current and NextGen operations to identify safety risks, operational inefficiencies, and MET information in the cockpit gaps (FY18)
        - Completed functional analysis of WTIC Conops, and developed associates functional architecture drawing as well as an SV-1, SV-2, and SV-4 drawings to identify gaps in functions and data
        - Draft final report completed of shortfall analyses in oceanic and remote regions.  Identified shortfalls include ice crystals on pitot tubes and incidents of ice accretion inside the core of an engine inflight resulting in thrust lost or flameout.
        - Proof of concept successfully completed to predict pilot behavior in areas of convective weather
        - Identified list of candidate scenarios with a potential to benefit from an adverse weather notification

FY15 HF REDAC Fall Meeting

Research provider presents Quad chart.   Check with AVS R&D Manager for Funding levels for FY14 through FY17.

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FY15 - WTIC Part 121/135 Gap Resolutions

Critical Milestones

Sponsor Outcome 

Research Requirement Description

Research Accomplishments in FY15 
        - Resolve/mitigate Part 121/135 safety risks and operational shortfalls related to adverse weather and gaps of MET information in the cockpit
        - Safety risks, operational shortfalls, and MET information gaps, being tracked in Part 121/135 MinWxSvc spreadsheet
        - Objective is to enhance Part 121/135 safety and efficiency through resolution of identified gaps/shortfalls
        - Sponsors/Collaborations: AFS, AIR, AVS, NextGen, GA JSC, NTSB 
        - Enhanced safety and NAS efficiency, in adverse weather, by resolving operational shortfalls and MET information in the cockpit gaps
        - Recommendations for Part 121/135 MinWxSvc that resolve/mitigate identified MET gaps in the cockpit and associated operational inefficiencies and safety risks
        - MinWxSvc recommendations for providing MET uncertainty information to the cockpit (FY20)
        - MinWxSvc recommendations for MET information to resolve operational shortfalls in oceanic and remote regions (FY19)
        - MinWxSvc recommendations for adverse weather notifications to enhance efficiency (FY18)
        - MinWxSvc wind accuracy recommendations for simulated NextGen operations, and completion of RTCA 206 document on data linking wind information (FY17)
        - Eddy Dissipation Rate (EDR) technical transfer package available to commercial airlines (FY16)
        - Assessment of EDR uplink benefits to the NAS
        - Initial EDR technical transfer package for use in verification demonstration to finalize contents
        - HITL demonstration plan and simulator setup for HITL to assess benefits of a convective weather notification
        - HOTL 1 indicated feasibility of tactical turbulence notification function.  Completed preparation for HOTL 2. 
        - Initial planning for oceanic demonstration of relevant MinWxSvc recommendations 
        - Phase 3 wind study well received by RTCA 206 and other stakeholders.  Completed Phase 4 planning which includes A-IM and SESAR FMS (10 altitude wind levels) simulations.
        - RTCA 206 technical support

FY15 HF REDAC Fall Meeting

Research provider presents Quad chart.   Check with AVS R&D Manager for Funding levels for FY14 through FY17.

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