Aviation Definitions related to to the “Runway Overrun Event” on landing by American Airlines Flight 331 A/C N977AN, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft at Kingston, Jamaica’s Norman Manley International Airport – KIN. Included is a discusion about the possible casues and Human Factors that may be related to the incident.
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Posted in Aviation Safety Terms | Tagged Safety
Dirty Dozen: The twelve most common Aviation Maintenance-related, Human Factors causes of errors.
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Posted in Aviation Safety Terms, Featured | Tagged FAA, Human Factors, Safety
Runway Status Lights are an Airport system that warns pilots and surface vehicles if it is unsafe to cross or enter a runway via a series of red lights embedded in the pavement.
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Posted in Airport Terms, ATC Terms | Tagged Airports, ATC, FAA, Navigation, Runway, Safety
Fail-passive automatic landing system are designed so that in the event of a failure there is no significant deviation of aircraft trim, flight path or
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Posted in Aviation Safety Terms | Tagged ATC, Avionics, Landing, Navigation, Safety
Arc tracking is a phenomenon in which a conductive carbon path is formed across an insulating surface. The carbon path provides a short circuit path through which current can flow (e.g., electrical arcing.) Circuit breakers are especially susceptible to Arc Tracking.
The effects of electrical faults can include:
• Component overheating
• Toxic fumes
• Smoke
• Fire
• Damage to [...]
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Posted in Aircraft Systems Terms, Aviation Safety Terms | Tagged electrical, Safety
Automatic protective devices (circuit breakers) are provided within aircraft systems to minimize distress to the electrical system and hazard to the aircraft in the event of wiring faults or serious malfunction of a system or connected equipment. Alerting devices provide the pilot with a visual and/or aural alarm to direct the pilot’s attention to a [...]
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Posted in Aircraft Systems Terms, Aviation Safety Terms | Tagged Aircraft, electrical, Safety, Systems
Reliability (Aviation) – Reliability in aviation is a broad term and is an expression of dependability and the probability that an item—including an aircraft, engine, propeller, or component—will perform the required function under specified conditions without failure for a specified period of time.
Testing for effectiveness of an Airline Reliability Program consists of collecting and analyzing operational performance [...]
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Posted in Airline Terms, Aviation Safety Terms, ICAO Terms | Tagged Airline, Aviation Safety, FAA, Safety
ETOPS Significant System – An airplane system, including the propulsion system, the failure or malfunctioning of which could adversely affect the safety of an ETOPS flight
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Posted in Airline Terms, FAA Terms, ICAO Terms | Tagged Aviation Safety, ETOPS, FAA, ICAO, Safety
Situational awareness. Pilot knowledge of where the aircraft is in regard to location, air traffic control, weather, regulations, aircraft status, and other factors that may affect flight.
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Posted in Aviation Terms | Tagged Aviation Safety, FAA Pilot's Handbook, Human Factors, Safety
Single-pilot resource management (SRM). The ability for a pilot to manage all resources effectively to ensure the outcome of the flight is successful.
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Posted in Aviation Terms | Tagged Aviation Safety, FAA Pilot's Handbook, Human Factors, Safety