ADVANCING AERONAUTICAL SAFETY
A REVIEW OF NASA’S AVIATION SAFETY-RELATED RESEARCH PROGRAMS
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This study is based on work supported by NNH05CC15C between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agency that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-15793-3
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-15793-5
Cover: Cover design by Tim Warchocki.
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Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
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OTHER REPORTS OF THE AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ENGINEERING BOARD
Capabilities for the Future: An Assessment of NASA Laboratories for Basic Research (Laboratory Assessments Board with the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board [ASEB], 2010)
Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies (Space Studies Board [SSB] with ASEB, 2010)
America’s Future in Space: Aligning the Civil Space Program with National Needs (SSB with ASEB, 2009)
Approaches to Future Space Cooperation and Competition in a Globalizing World: Summary of a Workshop (SSB with ASEB, 2009)
An Assessment of NASA’s National Aviation Operations Monitoring Service (ASEB, 2009)
Final Report of the Committee for the Review of Proposals to the 2009 Engineering and Physical Science Research and Commercialization Program of the Ohio Third Frontier Program (ASEB, 2009)
Fostering Visions for the Future: A Review of the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (ASEB, 2009)
Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies: Interim Report (SSB with ASEB, 2009)
Radioisotope Power Systems: An Imperative for Maintaining U.S. Leadership in Space Exploration (SSB with ASEB, 2009)
Assessing the Research and Development Plan for the Next Generation Air Transportation System: Summary of a Workshop (ASEB, 2008)
A Constrained Space Exploration Technology Program: A Review of NASA’s Exploration Technology Development Program (ASEB, 2008)
Final Report of the Committee for the Review of Proposals to the 2008 Engineering Research and Commercialization Program of the Ohio Third Frontier Program (ASEB, 2008)
Final Report of the Committee to Review Proposals to the 2008 Ohio Research Scholars Program of the State of Ohio (ASEB, 2008)
Launching Science: Science Opportunities Provided by NASA’s Constellation System (SSB with ASEB, 2008)
Managing Space Radiation Risk in the New Era of Space Exploration (ASEB, 2008)
NASA Aeronautics Research: An Assessment (ASEB, 2008)
Review of NASA’s Exploration Technology Development Program: An Interim Report (ASEB, 2008)
Science Opportunities Enabled by NASA’s Constellation System: Interim Report (SSB with ASEB, 2008)
United States Civil Space Policy: Summary of a Workshop (SSB with ASEB, 2008)
Wake Turbulence: An Obstacle to Increased Air Traffic Capacity (ASEB, 2008)
Building a Better NASA Workforce: Meeting the Workforce Needs for the National Vision for Space Exploration (SSB with ASEB, 2007)
Decadal Survey of Civil Aeronautics: Foundation for the Future (ASEB, 2006)
Review of the Space Communications Program of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate (ASEB, 2006)
Government/Industry/Academic Relationships for Technology Development: A Workshop Report (ASEB, 2005)
Review of Physical Science Proposals to the State of Ohio’s Wright Centers of Innovation Award Program: Final Letter Report (ASEB, 2005)
Technology Pathways: Assessing the Integrated Plan for a Next Generation Air Transportation System (ASEB, 2005)
Letter Report from the Panel for the Review of Proposals for NASA’s Intelligent Propulsion Systems Foundation Technology (PSFT) Program (ASEB, 2004)
Stepping-Stones to the Future of Space Exploration: A Workshop Report (ASEB, 2004)
Systems Integration for Project Constellation (ASEB, 2004)
Limited copies of ASEB reports are available free of charge from
Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board
National Research Council
The Keck Center of the National Academies
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(202) 334-2858/aseb@nas.edu
COMMITTEE FOR THE REVIEW OF NASA’S AVIATION SAFETY-RELATED PROGRAMS
H. NORMAN ABRAMSON,
Southwest Research Institute (retired),
Chair
ROBERT T. FRANCIS,
Zuckert, Scoutt, and Rosenberger, L.L.P.,
Vice Chair
ELLA M. ATKINS,
University of Michigan
DEBORAH A. BOEHM-DAVIS,
George Mason University
JAMES BURIN,
Flight Safety Foundation
COLIN G. DRURY,
State University of New York at Buffalo
R. JOHN HANSMAN, JR.,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
PIERRE T. KABAMBA,
University of Michigan
JAMES R. KRODEL,
Pratt and Whitney
RAYMOND R. LaFREY,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory (retired)
EDMOND L. SOLIDAY,
United Airlines (retired)
CORNELIA TOWNSEND,
Boeing Commercial Airplanes
ERIC J. TUEGEL,
Air Force Research Laboratory
RAYMOND VALEIKA, Independent Consultant
WILLIAM WHITTON,
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
Staff
PAUL JACKSON, Program Officer,
Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board,
Study Director (from August 2009)
THOMAS R. MENZIES, JR., Senior Program Officer,
Transportation Research Board
BRIAN DEWHURST, Program Officer,
Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board (through August 2009)
ANDREA REBHOLZ, Program Associate,
Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board
MICHAEL H. MOLONEY, Director,
Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board
AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ENGINEERING BOARD
RAYMOND S. COLLADAY,
Lockheed Martin Astronautics (retired),
Chair
KYLE T. ALFRIEND,
Texas A&M University
AMY L. BUHRIG,
Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group
INDERJIT CHOPRA,
University of Maryland, College Park
JOHN-PAUL B. CLARKE,
Georgia Institute of Technology
RAVI B. DEO,
Northrop Grumman Corporation (retired)
MICA R. ENDSLEY,
SA Technologies
DAVID GOLDSTON,
Harvard University
R. JOHN HANSMAN,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
JOHN B. HAYHURST,
Boeing Company (retired)
PRESTON HENNE,
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
RICHARD KOHRS, Independent Consultant
IVETT LEYVA,
Air Force Research Laboratory
ELAINE S. ORAN,
Naval Research Laboratory
ELI RESHOTKO,
Case Western Reserve University
EDMOND SOLIDAY,
United Airlines (retired)
Staff
MICHAEL H. MOLONEY, Director (from April 1, 2010)
RICHARD E. ROWBERG, Interim Director (March 2, 2009, to March 31, 2010)
CARMELA J. CHAMBERLAIN, Administrative Coordinator
TANJA PILZAK, Manager,
Program Operations
CELESTE A. NAYLOR, Information Management Associate
CHRISTINA O. SHIPMAN, Financial Officer
SANDRA WILSON, Financial Assistant
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2010 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
MICHAEL R. MORRIS,
North Central Texas Council of Governments,
Chair
NEIL J. PEDERSEN,
Maryland State Highway Administration,
Vice Chair
J. BARRY BARKER,
Transit Authority of River City
ALLEN D. BIEHLER,
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
LARRY L. BROWN, SR.,
Mississippi Department of Transportation
DEBORAH H. BUTLER,
Norfolk Southern Corporation
WILLIAM A.V. CLARK,
University of California, Los Angeles
NICHOLAS J. GARBER,
University of Virginia
JEFFREY W. HAMIEL,
Metropolitan Airports Commission
EDWARD A. HELME,
Center for Clean Air Policy
RANDELL H. IWASAKI,
California Department of Transportation
ADIB K. KANAFANI,
University of California, Berkeley
SUSAN MARTINOVICH,
Nevada Department of Transportation
DEBRA L. MILLER,
Kansas Department of Transportation
PETE K. RAHN,
Missouri Department of Transportation
SANDRA ROSENBLOOM,
University of Arizona, Tucson
TRACY L. ROSSER,
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
STEVEN T. SCALZO,
Marine Resources Group
HENRY G. SCHWARTZ, JR.,
Jacobs/Sverdrup Civil, Inc. (retired)
BEVERLY A. SCOTT,
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
DAVID SELTZER,
Mercator Advisors LLC
DANIEL SPERLING,
University of California, Davis
DOUGLAS W. STOTLAR,
Con-Way, Inc.
C. MICHAEL WALTON,
University of Texas, Austin
Staff
ROBERT E. SKINNER, JR., Executive Director
Preface
Section 305 of the NASA Authorization Act of 2008 directed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to contract with the National Research Council (NRC) for an “independent review of NASA’s aviation safety-related research programs.” The act calls for a review of whether the programs have well-defined, prioritized, and appropriate research objectives; resources have been allocated appropriately among these objectives; the programs are well coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other relevant agencies; and suitable mechanisms are in place for transitioning the research results in a timely manner. The specific language of the study charge is contained in Appendix A of this report.
To conduct the review, the NRC’s Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board (ASEB), in conjunction with the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies, assembled a committee of 15 experts with a wide range of expertise and perspectives. H. Norman Abramson, executive vice president (retired) of the Southwest Research Institute, chaired the committee, which included experts in aviation safety, aircraft manufacturing, airline operations, aircraft aging and condition, flight control, aviation software safety, traffic operations, weather, human factors, and the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). Biographical sketches of the committee members can be found in Appendix B of this report.
Over the course of 9 months, the committee met four times. During its first meeting on June 22-23, 2009, the committee received overview briefings on NASA’s safety-related research from Amy Pritchett, then-director of NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate’s (ARMD) Aviation Safety Program. To better understand its charge, the committee also talked with Richard Obermann, a member of the staff of the House Committee on Science and Technology. In addition, the FAA’s Barry Scott, director of research and technology development, and Robert Pappas, manager of aviation safety research and development, made presentations on the means by which the FAA and NASA coordinate in the conduct and transitioning of safety-related research. The committee’s second meeting was held September 3-4, 2009, at the NASA Ames Research Center, where the committee was able to interact directly with NASA researchers from a variety of locations, including NASA Ames, Glenn, and Langley research centers. During this meeting, the committee received more detailed briefings on the research being undertaken by NASA’s Aviation Safety Program from Amy Pritchett and several principal investigators.
The committee’s third meeting was held on November 19-20, 2009, immediately following NASA’s annual Aviation Safety Program Technical Conference. Several committee members were able to attend the conference, providing additional insight into the safety work at NASA. At this meeting, the committee heard from Jay Dryer and John Cavolowsky, directors of ARMD’s Fundamental Aeronautics Program and its Airspace Systems Program,
respectively. They discussed the aviation safety-related research being conducted in their ARMD programs. The committee also used this opportunity to meet with Jaiwon Shin, associate administrator for ARMD. The committee met for the final time on February 22-23, 2010, to develop this report.
The committee thanks all of the individuals who made presentations during the meetings and otherwise assisted the committee during the course of the study. Staff support for the committee’s efforts was managed through the combined efforts of Thomas R. Menzies, Jr., Brian Dewhurst (through August 2009), and Paul Jackson (since August 2009). The committee wishes to give special thanks to Andrea Rebholz for her assistance with meeting arrangements and correspondence with the committee.
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.
Thanks go to the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report: Anthony J. Broderick, independent aviation safety consultant; Richard J. Butler, Brigham Young University; John B. Hayhurst, the Boeing Company (retired); Roger Kasperson, George Perkins Marsh Institute at Clark University; Andrew Lacher, MITRE; John K. Lauber, Airbus SAS (retired); Robert Loewy, Georgia Institute of Technology; Najmedin Meshkati, University of Southern California; and Alfred T. Spain, JetBlue Airways Corporation (retired).
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Ali Mosleh, University of Maryland, College Park. Appointed by the NRC, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.