30 May 2024
Flight Data Monitoring
Discover how Flight Data Monitoring enhances aviation safety and operations oversight. Learn about FDM's role, regulations, and applications.
Flight Data Monitoring (FDM), also known as Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA), is the routine collection and analysis of flight data to generate objective and predictive information to improve flight safety. FDM is described in EU OPS as a component of an operator’s (Safety) Management System. The capability is the systematic, proactive and non-punitive use of digital flight data from normal operations to improve crew training and aviation safety performance (CAA, 2013). EU Ops Regulation ORO. AOC.130 states that “The flight data monitoring system shall be non-punitive and contain adequate safeguards to protect the sources of the data”. Typically, this requires the source of the flight data to remain confidential but does permit the use and publication of de-identified FDM trends.
Although FDM has been predominantly associated with large commercial airlines over the last four decades, it has now become an integral part of operations oversight for non-airline operators e.g. Oil and Gas transport (offshore and onshore), Helicopter Emergency Medical (HEMS), Search and Rescue (SAR) and Fire-fighting operations (FF). During the 1990s, the UK CAA, along with Shell and a North Sea Helicopter operator, conducted research into FDM applications supporting helicopter operations. As a result of the research, FDM became a mandated customer requirement for Offshore operations worldwide.
FDM equipment and technology have progressed, especially over the last decade, making ‘lightweight’ FDM systems available for smaller operators and mission-orientated markets such as HEMS, SAR and Fire-fighting helicopter fleets.
Regulation
In the USA, FDM is now mandated for HEMS operations regardless of aircraft size (AC135-14B, FAA 2015). The UK CAA has mandated FDM, as a requirement, for Police Air operations and SAR as outlined in UKCAA Safety Directive 2018/002. Within the EU, FDM can be applied to support crew training against the risk environment thus, Flight Data Monitoring requirements applicable to an Alternative Training and Qualification Programme (ATQP) are laid down in Commission Regulation (EU) 965/2012, Annex III (Part ORO), paragraph ORO.FC.A.245. Therefore, FDM is used to support the establishment, operational and training objectives based upon an analysis of the operational environment through the monitoring of the effectiveness of flight crew training and qualification.
Application
In practice, FDM capability means continuously recording flight parameters throughout the flight, routinely collecting this data from aircraft, and processing the recordings with the help of specific software, to extract safety-relevant information, such as deviations from the operating procedures or abnormal parameter values. The main focus of an FDM program is to provide enhanced levels of assurance over flight operations, driving improvements in Flight Standards monitoring through the capability to identify and mitigate operational risks.
FDM also supports the SMS in the investigation of incidents and accidents by providing the operational context (analysis of flight data including trigger ‘gate’ events supporting identification of undesirable trends and operational metrics) leading up to and recovery from an event. SMS provisions under Just Culture require that all incidents are investigated in a just and fair manner to permit lesson to be learned and continuous improvement in safety and crew training standards.
The FDM process should also include engineering gatekeepers who are informed immediately that an airframe or engine limitation, ‘Red limit’ exceedance is identified. It is good practice to incorporate ‘Amber limits’ for engineering where appropriate to allow trending and ensure that the engineering understanding of operational usage profiles is correct. However, Engineering Gatekeepers should not approach the flight crew, they should liaise through Flight Crew Gatekeepers.
The main focus of an FDM program is to provide enhanced levels of assurance over flight operations, driving improvements in Flight Standards monitoring through the capability to identify and mitigate operational risks
A well-implemented FDM programme will allow an organisation to:
- Detect trends in operation that are adversely affecting safety, even before they result in a serious incident
- Reliably capture safety-relevant events during operation, even if they were not reported by the flight crew
- Build and maintain a complete and accurate picture of the safety risks, which is essential for an effective safety management system (SMS)
- Verify the effectiveness of corrective actions (corrective training, change to operating procedures, equipment retrofit, etc)
- Support engineering investigations
- Implement FDM data protocols and event definitions that are tuned for the operation concerned. This broad data-gathering period can also be used to validate safety assumptions and operational safety cases by type and role
Thus, an implemented FDM program compares collected and analysed data trends against approved Procedures and Flight Standards to enhance operational safety through improvements in the following areas:
- Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Flight Crew Training
- Aircraft maintenance and technical performance monitoring
- Crew performance monitoring
FDM ‘gates’ should be regularly reviewed with role specialists through FDM working groups (FF, SAR, HEMS) to ensure that performance oversight is effective in maintaining standards and identifying new risks.
Such groups provide as output:
- Interfacing with the Safety/Training departments: A specific definition of manoeuvres that may be considered necessary in role, so as to support SOPs development and FDM event search algorithms.
- Defining training needs of crews on specific manoeuvres needed in role context.
- Improvements to the FDM system approach in intercepting phenomena indicative of risk in these operations and promoting a change in culture, adherence to standards, and sensitivity to event reporting with company crews.
FDM provides objective safety data and has become a key component of an operator’s Safety Management System. FDM represents a critical capability in operations and safety oversight driving the effectiveness of training programs and development and refinement of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The FDM program helps monitor risk mitigation measures and also provides the feedback of results to line crews and technicians.
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Author
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