Research, Engineering and 

Development Advisory 

Committee

Subcommittee Report -

Aircraft Safety (SAS)

Terry McVenes, SAS Chair

October 10, 2019
SAS Meeting 

August 19-20, 

2019

• Review of FY19, FY20 budgets, and RE&D appropriations

• FY21 proposed budget

• R&D Landscapes

• FY19 Aircraft Safety Assurance Portfolio Accomplishments

• FY22 New Process for Strategic Guidance

• Software Assurance Challenges

• Update on UAS Research

• Response to the SAS F&R on Runway Friction

• National Artificial Intelligence R&D Strategic Plan

• Cybersecurity-safety Commercial Aviation Team

• RTCA and FAA Working Relationship
Finding #1– Funding of New and Emerging Safety 

Risks R&D

• Lengthy budget cycles significantly restrict the ability of the FAA to 

plan and conduct research in near real time to address emerging 

issues.

• Some issues have the potential to influence the current strategies 

around the NAS and could create a challenge to safety if the right 

levels of oversight are not provided.

• In all cases, the experts at the FAA are best equipped to make 

decisions with respect to the prioritization of research in the interest 

of safety.
Recommendation #1

A process should be established (ideally as part of the appropriation 

process) to set aside a portion of the RE&D budget for discretionary 

efforts to address out of cycle emerging issues that are agreed to have 

a potential impact on aircraft safety.
Finding #2-AVS Research Planning Process

• Briefing on the rebuilding of the AVS research proposal and prioritization 

process. 

• The subcommittee was encouraged to see the effort to refine the process 

from the Agency’s experience. 

• Discussion on the FAA’s aspiration of creating a balance between emerging 

issues and current issues. 

• Subcommittee concern that strategic material developed with Industry and 

SME input contained in the Research Landscapes for the National Airspace 

System is not explicitly included as reference, or required guidance, in the 

development of research proposals. Nor is it explicitly built into the rubric 

for selecting research proposals in order to achieve the balance. 
Recommendation #2

• As the research proposal and selection process is refined, guidance 

for the use of Research Landscapes and their associated Research 

Challenges, as reference for individuals proposing new research, and 

also that those Landscapes and Challenges are considered as part of 

the selection rubric. 

• Guidance should establish a definition of emerging issues, in contrast 

to current issues, and the percentage of the RE&D budget that shall 

be allocated to emerging issues for the FY planning year.
Finding #3 - Additional Funding for Complex System 

R&D

• Certification of complex, non-deterministic systems is a significant emerging issue for several years now.

• Addressing this multifaceted, complicated challenge involves many different 

related aspects.

• Concern that some aspects which are being under-addressed involving such areas as the validation and verification of complex digital systems employing non- deterministic software elements to include autonomous systems, artificial 

intelligence, and machine learning.

• Also, under-addressed are design standards and best practices for safety critical 

non-deterministic systems.

• Autonomous flight is likely to have implications for all aspects of aviation and is 

likely to have near-term implications for systems which enable unmanned aircraft, urban air mobility type operations, and the use of single pilot operations 

in cargo aircraft.
Recommendation #3

The FY20 request for Digital System Safety includes a total of 

approximately $3M which is not currently supported by the House 

version. This is likely to be insufficient to address the complicated 

challenge in a timely fashion and the direct relationship to the scope of 

the Unmanned Aircraft System BLI. The FAA should dedicate a 

significant portion the anticipated congressional plus-ups in the area of 

unmanned systems to this essential topic. The FAA should continue to 

leverage, where appropriate, research investments at NASA and DOD.

The subcommittee would like a detailed update on FAA progress, plans, 

and relationships in this area at a future meeting.
SAS Meeting

Next Meeting:

RTCA Headquarters in Washington, DC on 

February 25-26, 2020

Questions?