#AMRG Summary: Shaping the Future of Advanced Air Mobility Safety - RAeS President's 2024 Briefing Paper
David Ison PhD
Advanced Air Mobility Researcher, Aviation Planner, Academic Publishing Expert, Pilot, Writer, and Educator, Aviation Expert Witness
Aviation is a highly regulated sector that prioritizes safety, with 2023 being the safest year ever for commercial air transport. The age of electric propulsion (eVTOL) is now coming to fruition, with aircraft designs certified through compliance with specific regulations. A multidisciplinary group of aviation experts, including tech and automotive sectors, has conducted a pre-mortem investigation to predict the unique ways and complexities of eVTOLs in challenging situations. The paper discusses three hypothetical accident scenarios in the near-future world of 2035, forecasting eVTOLs to be operational in air taxi, commuter, and specialist roles. You can find the complete paper HERE.
The scenarios outlined were:
Scenario 1 EMS eVTOL Battery Fire
Assumptions:
? The aircraft is modified from a commercial to a specific medical configuration.
? The pilot and medical staff are trained for their roles.
? The aircraft is operated within all design certification and regulatory parameters.
? The aircraft touches down abruptly with damage to the undercarriage and one of the aircraft doors from the hard landing.
Accommodation and Operations:
? eVTOL aircraft supplement the helicopter fleet for medical evacuation services in a South Asian region in 2035.
? The aircraft is based closer to potential medical evacuation points due to safety characteristics, operating costs, and size.
? The aircraft is used for emergency surgery in a remote area.
Battery Cell Issue:
? A battery cell issue necessitates automatic isolation and the aircraft runs on two-thirds available power.
? The fault may be traced to the mishandling of a battery module during a routine inspection.
? The latent internal failure is identified as the root cause of an impending thermal runaway.
Preventative Actions:
? Maintenance and inspection can result in errors leading to critical safety events.
? Operators should be aware of the risks of improper maintenance and inspection.
? The eVTOL community should promote the importance of collaborative initiatives focused on safety data and analysis.
Scenario Based Simulation Training:
? Scenario-based simulator training should expose future eVTOL pilots to representative battery failures and in-flight thermal runaway scenarios.
? Automated cell monitoring and data analysis can help identify cells with out-of-family characteristics.
Regulators' Role:
? Sufficient staffing and resourcing are essential to keep pace with the industry.
? The robust management of safety throughout the emergent sector is essential to identify and mitigate issues.
Scenario-based simulator training should expose future eVTOL pilots to representative battery failures and in-flight thermal runaway scenarios.
? Automated cell monitoring and data analysis can help identify cells with out-of-family characteristics.
Scenario 2 Commuter eVTOL Hard Landing
Assumptions:
? An IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight is operating in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) due to variable weather conditions and high traffic volume.
? The ATM system is transitioning from legacy airspace management to modern, automated network management systems for low-level but high-volume eVTOL operations.
? A non-co-operative, infringing aircraft is detected, causing enroute holding and a delay in landing time.
? The eVTOL's energy reserves are diminished due to the ongoing disruption in the surrounding airspace.
? The pilot diverts to the next accessible vertiport at Stratford, which is already near capacity due to a major sporting event close to the diversion vertiport.
? The ongoing disruption and delays mean that the diversion landing spots remain occupied by other eVTOLs.
? The pilot's hesitation on where to divert consumes even more energy and puts the batteries in an extremely low state of charge.
领英推荐
? The pilot approaches too quickly, runs out of available power margin at a low state of charge, and suffers a hard landing, causing significant injury to the passengers.
Preventative Actions for Aircraft Operations:
? Understanding the state of charge and suitable landing locations is crucial for safe operations, especially in high-density environments.
? Tailored training and development are necessary for low-level IFR crews and controllers, and for routine high-volume operations.
? New systems are needed to facilitate and enable operations, with system requirements and products tested in various failure scenarios.
? Automation and improvement of information exchanges between aircraft and controllers are necessary due to the anticipated volume and transition periods.
? Aeronautical information needs to be developed to support specific criteria for eVTOL operations.
Regulators' Role:
? The infrastructure required to support the AAM vision must keep pace with the volume of aircraft in operation and the level of service provided.
Scenario 3 Air Taxi Collision with Object in Urban Megacity
Flight Safety and Operations Overview
? EVTOL aircraft are piloted by a single pilot in both VFR and IFR.
? Pilot is visibly fatigued and preparing for her tenth short sector of the day.
? Four VVIP passengers pressure pilot to shorten ground time before take-off.
? A report from the network operation center (NOC) suggests the assigned landing area may not be available.
? The pilot receives no direct instruction to divert, leading to a situation where three eVTOL aircraft arrive near the landing site.
? The lack of a screen between passengers and the cockpit in the aircraft leads to constant interaction and demands for information.
? Pilot realizes not enough battery capacity to make vertiport.
? Pilot makes emergency landing at an empty football field nearby.
? Pilot overcontrols and clips a tall football flood light with the wing and rotors, leading to the aircraft rapidly descending and heavily impacting the ground.
Preventative Actions in Aviation Incidents
? Pilots need to feel empowered to make aeronautical decisions free from pressures and undue influences.
? Operators should develop a visible and just safety culture that doesn't penalize staff for managing pressures.
? The emerging eVTOL sector should consider operator-specific Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS).
? Establish reasonable flight time limits.
? Ambiguous and incomplete information is a hallmark of this scenario.
? Scenario-based drills should be periodically exercised to ensure all actors are versed in handling unexpected situations.
? High-fidelity flight simulators should be used for scenario-based training for pilots.
? OEMs should continue to lead safety conversations with their operator customers.
Summary:
This paper highlights the importance of ensuring the safe introduction of eVTOLs globally. It highlights the need for collaboration and innovation in the sector, including electric power, fly-by-wire controls, and next-generation avionics. The paper suggests that a global safety-focused body should be established to address potential safety issues and ensure the safe integration of AAM in the skies. A robust safety culture should be established throughout the industry, with operators seeking to manage pressures and suppliers requiring this. Real-time information sharing should be established to ensure airspace integration and safety. Modern, scenario-based training for all players should be implemented using modern technologies, such as simulators or VR/AR. International regulators must collaborate to build capacity and capability, ensuring they are capable of overseeing the industry and reducing resource requirements at a national level. This will help advance the safe integration of AAM in the skies and bring socio-economic benefits.
Brought to you by...