Fault Tree Analysis Fault Tree Analysis Methodology

For the fault tree diagram analysis, any reference to aileron control will be referring to the right aileron. Modules for each control surface are devices in the control surface that provide the control output and serve as a location for a soldered connection for electrical input through wires.

Fault tree analysis provides engineers a method to perform safety and reliability test. It is a structure problem solving technique that is similar to Cause and Effect analysis and Ishikawa (known as fish-bone) method. To correctly apply the fault tree analysis method, the first step is to set up the structure properly. For example, whether there is a malfunction in a laptop computer, or there is a abrupt shutdown in a car navigation system, the starting point of the structure, should be made clear without any confusion. After determining the startup point of the structure, fault tree analysis can be added with useful visual codes. At the first level following the stated problem, all potential causes can be coded with red color. At the next level, the most possible causes can be still coded with red color, while the less possible causes can be changed to a blue coding color. At the coming levels until the final true cause of the failure, coding scheme can follow the same tactics as before, when red color represents the most likely causes, blue color represents the less likely causes, and green color represents the least possible causes.

In addition to visual coding, disciplined fault cell numbering should also be necessary when setting up and analyzing the fault tree diagram. Conventionally, the stated failure (the problem), should be numbered as 1.0. At the first level following the stated problem, different potential causes should be numbered as 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc. The same fault cell numbering tactic would be applied at the coming levels, for example 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, etc, as 1.1.1 should follow 1.1.

The fault tree analysis has several good characteristics. First, it is the most widely accepted cause analysis method. Second, it is the most easily understood method and it has received the highest customer acceptance rate. Because of these, it is essential that we conduct a proper fault tree analysis to determine the true cause that results in our aileron jam during pilot takeoff. In the following section the fault tree dirgram, based on the fault tree structure set up principles, will show there are six potential causes for failure at the first level, and the resultant path that ends with the true cause for the failure will be coded with red color, while the rest of the diagram will be in black color as a contrast. Fault tree analysis methodology has one of the best-visualized diagrams and it clearly indicates the detailed path that leads to the true cause for the failure. In our cases, the team concluded that the root cause is connecting the aileron wire to the flaps control module that jams the aileron, preventing the aircraft takeoff.