The Polytechnic University of Bucharest

Aeronautical Engineering Faculty

Air Transportation Safety

Student:

Scientific Coordinator:

tefan Mchi

Sen.Lec. Elena Savu

In todays presentation Im planning to talk about Air Transportation

Safety and for that Id like to cover three points. First I want to introduce air
transportation safety, then we will look at aviation safety hazards and finally I
will end my talk focusing on the future and the future of air transportation
safety, in particular.
What is air transportation safety and how does affect each one of us?
Every time when we travel by plane, we are exposed to danger. Is one
single thing goes wrong, the end can be disastrous.

Ice and snow;

Engine failure;
Structural failure;
Stalling;
Fire;
Bird strike;
Ground damage;
Volcanic ash;
Human factors;
Terrorism;

All of them represent a possible cause for a plane crash.

Aviation safety is a set of regulations a policy implemented by airlines.
It has the purpose to prevent such risks through regulation, education and
training.
Since the beginning of the XX century, aviation safety became a concern
and in the 1920s, the first laws were in the USA to regulate civil aviation. Pilots
were to be licensed, accidents properly iunvestigated and safety rules were to be
applied.
Between 1926-1927 there were a total of 24 fatal commercial airline
crashes but after the air transportation safety devepoled, the rate of fatal
incidents has declined steadly ever since, and since 1997 the number of fatal air
accidents has been no more than 1 per very 2.000.000.000 flown miles. Safety
has also improved from better aircraft design, engineering and maintenance, the
evolution of the navigation aids and safety protocols and procedures.

Here we have a graph which represents the no. of fatal accidents. As you
can see, on the horizontal axis we have the years between 1950 and 2014, and
on the vertical axis we have the no. of fatal accidents.

It can be observed that, overall, the trend is going down, although there
are fluctuation, ups and downs. We have a few exceptions because of the
increasing number of flights in the 1970s and then in 1990s. Besides from
those two exceptions there is however a decline in the number of accidents.
As I said, every time when we fly we are exposed to danger. I have
already listed some of them, but now I will talk about some specific aviation
safety hazards by use of real life examples.
Fire Each aircraft must comply with fire safety rules. Usually these
requirements take the form of a required test. The test measures the flammability

of materials and toxicity of smoke. Each airplane must have an automated fire
safety system.
The cabin crew is instructed about fire on board. Why that? Because fire
and its toxic smoke can be the cause of accidents.
For instance, an electrical fire on Air Canada flight 797 in 1983 caused the
death of 23 of the 46 passengers, resulting in the introduction of floor level
lighting to assist people to evacuate a smoke-filled aircraft.
Another flight was lost in the Indian Ocean in 1987 after a in-flight fire in
the cargo hold which could not be extinguished be the crew. The possible cause
of fires on planes are multiple and sometime difficult to detect.
After each incident, the procedures and regulation are where changed to
prevent similar incidents to happen again.
Another risk factor can be ice and snow. Even a small amount of icing or
corse frost can greatly impair the ability of a wing to develop adequate lift,
which is why regulations prohibit ice, snow or even frost on the wings or tail to
take-off. Airlines and airports ensure that aircraft are properly de-iced before
take-off, wherever the wheader involves icing conditions.
Danger can come from the power plant. An engine may fail to function
because of fuel starvation, fuel exhaustion, foreign object damage, mechanical
failure, maintenance problems or pilot error.
In a multi-engine aircraft, the failure of a single engine usually results in a
precautionary landing being performed to a diversion airport instead of
continuing to the intended destination.
The risks I have mentioned are not the only ones. Did you know that
Plumes of volcanic ash near active volcanoes can damage propellers, engines
and cockpit windows ? Yes, they can.
Also, Human factors including pilot error is another potential danger, and
currently the most common factor of aviation crashes.
An extreme and most recent case was in the news. Although most air
crews are screened for psychological fitness, some have taken suicidal actions.
In 2015, on March 24, Germanwings Flight 9525 crashed 100 km northwest of
Nice, in the French Alps, after a constant descent.
The crash was intentionally caused by the co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz who
has been declared unfit to work, but he hid this to the employer.

So far we have talked about air safety in general and we have considered
some risk factors with practical examples. It is the time to become more
optimistic and look to the future. Is the future of air travel so dark? Well, I think
and it is not only me statistics prove it - The future of air transportation is
shining. Every year the number of passengers grows and the manufacturers have
to find a way to increase the air transportation safety. The two largest
manufacturers in the world work to develop a new technology to decrease the
pollution and increase comfort and safety. Here I have chosen a few ideas
suggestions which may be implemented in the future.
One thing would be to have New
airport systems which will reduce
the risk of terrorism and accidents
during takeoff and landing

Next Generation Propulsion

using nuclear power or solar panels,
which will decrease the probability of
engine failure, will reduce the fuel
consumption and pollution.

New avionics and much more things which will make the air transportation
much safer, reliable, environmentally friendly and why not cheaper.
I would like to end with a short recap on the three points. Since 1920 air
transportation safety has become a global concern and the first laws were
adopted. Originally there were a lot of aviation safety hazards but with all of
that, the air transportation is the safest means of transport. In the coming years,
many technologies waiting to be discovered will increase flight safety.
In conclusion, Air transport is and will continue to be the safest means of
transport.

Bibliography:
-Wikipedia
-European Commission, Ideas about the future of air transport
-www.Planecrashinfo.com
-www.Csmonitor.com
- www.ntsb.gov
-www.boeing.com
-www.airbus.com
-www.easa.europa.eu