Context:

Aviation safety and security during transport of goods

According to International Air Transport Association (IATA), the worth of goods transported via air is
USD 6 trillion annually, accounting for approximately 35% of world trade by value. Air transportation
is also ideal in shipping urgent materials ranging from radiopharmaceuticals for medical diagnosis to
food products such as fresh fish and exotic fruits. Considering air transportation plays a vital role in
supply chain, safety and security must be taken seriously to avoid loss of life, assets and production
(i.e., delay of transportation of goods or products).

1. Foreign Object Debris

- According to US Department of Transportation, Foreign Object Debris (FOD) is any
object, live or not, located in an inappropriate location in the airport environment that
has the capacity to injure airport personnel and damage aircraft.
- Considering that FOD can potentially damage an aircraft, this means that the goods are
exposed to hazards as well. If there is any incident where an aircraft is damaged due to
FOD, this could downgrade the goods characteristics and affect all stakeholders.
- The FOD may also harm airport personnel which may lead to Lost Time Injury (or LTI)
and loss of production.
- An FOD management program must be established (if not yet available) and strictly
implemented. This is to identify what are the objects that must be classified as FOD, as
well as the required equipment to remove any FOD that poses threats to aircraft and
personnel.

2. Misleading Information
- In any industry, particularly Supply Chain, any misleading information is a potential
source of hazard and even catastrophe.
- For example, if a product is mislabelled this could put someone’s life at risk e.g.,
exposing the consumers to allergens. According to World Economic Forum (WEF), a
recent academic study demonstrates how manufacturers can easily omit or alter the list
of ingredients in products driving the consumers to take greater health risk.
- Another form of misleading information is misdeclaration of goods. There are goods that
are considered “DG” or Dangerous Goods. There nine (9) classes of DG and these are as
follows:
o Explosives.
o Flammable Gases.
o Flammable Liquids.
o Flammable solids.
o Oxidizing.
o Toxic & Infectious.
o Radioactive.
o Corrosives.
- FedEx, a well-known logistics company that offers air freight forwarding services,
penalize e-commerce shippers USD 350 fine for improper packaging, incorrect labels or
markings, undeclared shipments, and abandoned or rejected packages.
3. Lightning
- According to SKYbrary, a web portal for everything related to Aviation Safety, Lightning
occurs because of a build-up of static charges within a cumulonimbus cloud.
- Lightning strikes can affect airline operations and cause costly delays and service
interruptions. Strikes to airplanes are relatively common but rarely result in a significant
impact to the continued safe operation of the airplane.
- Lightning protection is used on airplanes to avoid delays and interruptions as well as
reduce the significance of the strike. To increase the effectiveness of repairs to damage
caused by lightning, maintenance personnel must be familiar with lightning protection
measures, proper inspection, and repair procedures.

4. Ice and Snow

- According to Sofema, a Virtual Aviation Academy, ice and/or snow can disrupt the
airflow over the lift and surfaces of an aircraft. Ice and snow formations on an aircraft
may decrease the lift and alter the stall and handling characteristics. This can cause loss
of lift and impact manoeuvrability of the aircraft.
- Hence, a process called de-icing must be applied when there is a build up of ice and
snow. This process involves spraying of hot mixture of glycol and water which literally
blasts the icy deposits off the wing.

5. Windshear or Microburst
- A windshear (or microburst) is a phenomenon commonly occurring during a
thunderstorm and can affect aircraft flight performance hence can delay transport of
goods.
- The wind or gust from a windshear can make the aircraft fly above the intended path
and/or accelerate (or vice-versa).
- Windshear can be avoided by following information from weather reports and forecast,
Pilot’s reports, visual observation, On-board wind component and ground speed
monitoring, on-board weather radar and on-board predictive windshear system.

6. Engine Failure
- As per the research titled: “Causes of Aviation Accidents and Incidents Especially with
Engine Failure”, engine failure is the second most common causes of airplane accidents
and incidents (for the period 2008-2017), and air crashes caused by the engine will have
higher financial consequences for the airlines than other form of failure e.g., airframe
failure.
- According to an article by Business Aircraft Centre, the following must be conducted to
avoid and manage an engine failure:
o Keep engine maintained – annual inspection, airworthiness directives and time-
in-service intervals for life-limited parts or systems
o Pre-flight safety check – mistakes (e.g., loose fuel caps, unsumpted fuel tanks,
and clogged fuel vents) could be easily identified before even starting the
engine, so never underestimate the importance of a good pre-flight inspection
and briefing.
o Fuel management – e.g., failure to verify fuel levels in the tank(s). can lead to
fuel depletion.
o Failure of parts and components - be on the lookout for warning signs like
irregular oil pressure and temperature fluctuations, excessive RPM drops during
 a magneto check, or an excessive cylinder head temperature. If something
seems odd, have a mechanic look at it asap.
7. Structural failure of aircraft
- According to an article by JET Technology Solutions, an aircraft maintenance provider,
aircraft structural failure occurs when aircraft fatigue is not detected early enough or is
left untended. Since most fatigue cracks are invisible to the eye initially, it makes them
particularly challenging to detect.
- These cracks are what directly cause large-scale damage and danger. If an aircraft is
continually utilized without proper fatigue inspection and maintenance, the microscopic-
level damage can become visible cracks in the aircraft’s body and split wider after
exposure to the flight environment. If left to widen or worsen, the results can be
catastrophic.
- While accurate methods of testing for aircraft fatigue are relatively new, there is a way
to determine the amount of time an aircraft or particular metal has, before fatigue
causes severe damage.
- To determine how many cycles an aircraft or type of metal can take, there has to be a
measurable factor with which to make a comparison. This factor is called the Limit of
Validity, or LOV.
- The LOV is the time period — defined in hours, the number of flight cycles or both — an
aircraft frame can withstand before it experiences structural failure or widespread
fatigue damage (WFD). 
- Measuring against the determined LOV is not only crucial for safety, but it is also an FAA
regulation. Effective as of 2011, the FAA requires all aircraft manufacturers and
operators to report the LOV levels of active aircraft on a set schedule, and they may not
fly beyond the LOV unless an extended one is approved.
- By maintaining this requirement, the FAA can ensure that documented aging aircraft are
retired prior to experiencing any catastrophic failures.

8. Stalling
- An aircraft that has stalled means that it is not able to produce enough lift. When this
occurs, there’s an insufficient amount of air traveling under the airplane’s wings to keep
it up. As a result, the airplane will drop, thereby reducing its altitude, until the angle of
attack is correctly adjusted.
- The most common signs of a stall are as follows:
o Lower-than-normal flight speed
o Vibration in the rudder pedals
o High nose position
o Altitude descending
- Modern aircrafts are equipped with several systems to alert pilots of an approaching
stall. This includes monitoring of speed and sensors to measure the angle of attack.
Warnings can be given by alarm designed to give similar warnings to manual controls.
9. Fire
- The three main types of fire in an aircraft are:
o Engine Fire
o Cabin Fire
o Electrical Fire
 - Fire produces heat, smoke, and fumes. The smoke can reduce visibility within the
aircraft. A fire in an aircraft typically generates a lot of thick smoke which can render the
flight crew blind, unable to see the instruments or see out of the windows. In addition,
fumes from fire are highly toxic and irritating to the eyes and respiratory system. Smoke
and fumes may therefore quickly incapacitate the crew unless they take protective
action. The heat from fires will also affect aircraft systems and ultimately impact the
structural integrity of the aircraft both of which will lead to Loss of Control which is one
of the most significant causes of fatal aircraft accidents for many years.

10. Bird Strike

- Bird strike is also known as Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (or BASH) and occurs during in-
flight or on a take-off.
- It is a collision between an airborne animal (usually a bird or bat) and a moving vehicle,
usually an aircraft.
- Most accidents caused by bird strikes occur when the bird is either sucked into the
engine of a jet or when the bird flies into the windscreen.
- Some of the solutions include:
o Habitat management – including reduction or elimination of trees, shrubs and
other plants which provide food, shelter or roosting sites for birds.
o Netting or draining of streams – routinely wet grassland and areas of standing
water. Prevention of transient formation of such areas after heavy rainfall.
o Grass management – grass height maintenance can be very important.
o Use of bird scaring techniques such as: (1) Broadcast of bird distress signals and
(2) Firing of pyrotechnic bird scaring cartridges.

11. Human Factors

- play a crucial role in safety in the aviation sector. One small error caused by poor
procedures or miscommunication can result in catastrophic events including the loss of
life.
- In aviation, human factors are dedicated to better understanding how humans can most
safely and efficiently be integrated with the technology. That understanding is then
translated into design, training, policies, or procedures to help humans perform better.
- According to Dviation, a company specialising in aviation asset management, Human
Factors is crucial in aviation due to the following reasons:
o Optimizes Human-System Interactions - an example of optimizing interactions by
improving systems is making traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) less
strenuous on the eyes, so that air traffic controllers can perform efficiently
without discomfort.
o Increases Teamwork and Cooperation – understanding the dynamics of the
workplace – be it in the cockpit, hangar or at the office – can help promote
positive communication and synergy.
o Facilitates Effectiveness of Accident Investigations - a great deal of advances had
been made because of past mistakes and accidents. In hindsight, with the
application of an understanding in Human Factors, we are able to view the
accident in a different light and apply the lessons learned and continuously
improve aviation safety.
o Improves Safety Performance - understanding of Human Factors is one of the
biggest tools we can utilize to improve safety performance. All the positive
effects of Human Factors inevitably point to increased safety.