Failure Conditions is a condition having an affect on either the airplane or its occupants, or both, either direct or consequential, which is caused or contributed to by one or more failures or errors considering flight phase and relevant adverse operational or environmental conditions or external events. Failure conditions may be classified according to their severity as follows:
(1) No safety effect. Failure conditions that would have no affect on safety (that is, failure conditions that would not affect the operational capability of the airplane or increase crew workload).
(2) Minor. Failure conditions that would not significantly reduce airplane safety and
involve crew actions that are well within their capabilities. Minor failure conditions may include a slight reduction in safety margins or functional capabilities, a slight increase in crew workload (such as routine flight plan changes), or some physical discomfort to passengers or cabin crew.
(3) Major. Failure conditions that would reduce the capability of the airplane or the
ability of the crew to cope with adverse operating conditions to the extent that there would be a significant reduction in safety margins or functional capabilities. In addition, the failure condition has a significant increase in crew workload or in conditions impairing crew efficiency; or a discomfort to the flight crew or physical distress to passengers or cabin crew, possibly including injuries.
(4) Hazardous. Failure conditions that would reduce the capability of the airplane or the ability of the crew to cope with adverse operating conditions to the extent that there would be the following:
(a) A large reduction in safety margins or functional capabilities;
(b) Physical distress or higher workload such that the flight crew cannot be relied upon to perform their tasks accurately or completely;
or
(c) Serious or fatal injury to an occupant other than the flight crew.
(5) Catastrophic. Failure conditions that are expected to result in multiple fatalities of the occupants, or incapacitation or fatal injury to a flight crewmember normally with the loss of the airplane.
Notes:
(1) The phrase “are expected to result” is not intended to require 100 percent certainty that the effects will always be catastrophic. Conversely, just because the effects of a given failure, or combination of failures, could conceivably be catastrophic in extreme circumstances, it is not intended to imply that the failure condition will necessarily be considered catastrophic.
(2) The term “catastrophic” was defined in previous versions of advisory materials as a failure condition that would prevent continued safe flight and landing.
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