Name: Ezra Boanerges.

D ID:00021136
Date:05/12/2023

Avionics Safety

Introduction:
Avionics safety is a critical aspect of aviation that focuses on ensuring the reliability, security,
and functionality of the electronic systems and components in aircraft. As aviation technology
continues to advance, the integration of avionics systems becomes increasingly complex, making
safety measures of paramount importance. After conducting weeks of research, I came up with
three specific research questions to narrow down the focus of my research., highlighting its
significance in maintaining the safety and security of both passengers and crew in the aviation
industry.

Research Questions:
1. How does the Avionics safety manage payload functions?
2. How does Avionics implement safety in Hazardous equipment environment?
3. How avionics enhances safety standards?

Thesis Statement:
In the field of avionics safety, this thesis will discuss the effects of implementing safety
management in avionics such as management of payload functions followed by the
implementation of avionics safety in hazardous equipment environments and to provide and an
insight regarding enhancing safety through fault tolerance. The paper also discusses the issues
regarding avionics system and the current safety enhancing factors.

This paper will explore the intricate field of avionics safety, breaking down this complex subject
to ensure better understanding of the topic. Avionics, as a vast and complicated field,
necessitates a profound understanding of both electronics and aviation. Now, the three pivotal
aspects that form the backbone of avionics safety are the meticulous “management of payload
functions”, ensuring precision and redundancy through design strategies and real-time
monitoring, the challenges faced by avionics professionals in “hazardous equipment
environments”, which encompasses risks like extreme weather conditions and Radio frequency
interferences. The final point, ongoing efforts to “enhance avionics safety standards”, which
also explores compliance measures, and the complexity of avionics system involving its issues
and post-flight analysis in shaping and improving these standards.
Avionics safety management of payload functions, is a vital aspect to ensure reliable and secure
operation of aircraft, specifically concerning payload functions. Payloads in aviation refer to the
equipment, instruments, and systems carried by an aircraft to perform specific functions, such as
data collection, communication, navigation, or surveillance. Ensuring the safety of avionics
systems is important, as any failure can have serious consequences, ranging from financial losses
to compromising the safety of passengers and crew. This involves a systematic approach that
incorporates risk assessment, moderation strategies and constant monitoring. Few examples for
this would be Temperature regulation and Pressure regulation (Tadlock ,2002).
Temperature regulation is maintaining the appropriate temperature within the payload
compartment which ensures the safety and functions of sensitive equipment. Extreme
temperatures can lead to equipment malfunctions or damage, which could cost the airline a hefty
sum to replace. Hence the avionics system is designed to monitor and control temperature from
overheating and extreme cold.
Next, pressure regulation is also monitored by avionics system. To explain on pressurization in
an aircraft, commercial aircrafts fly at high altitudes to consume fuel efficiently as high-altitude
atmosphere enhances fuel consumption due to better weather and turbulence factors. Higher the
altitude, lesser the oxygen available. This is due to change in air density with respect to altitude.
As a matter of fact, going much higher than 8,000 feet without the help of modern technology
can cause altitude sickness, also known as hypoxia. Hypoxia can lead to dizziness, headache,
difficulty thinking, unconsciousness and eventually death. This is avoided by cabin
pressurization, with the help of pressure regulators and the help of outflow valves which keeps
the incoming air inside the cabin and release it at the rate the regulator dictates. The system that
controls this complicated inputs and outputs is the avionics system. Now to the payload specific
regulation, Changes in pressure can affect the structural integrity of the aircraft and payload and
can cause chemical reactions of certain materials. Proper pressure is essential to prevent leaks,
structural damage or other safety risks during the flight. These two requirements are fundamental
for safe and successful management of payloads (Coliac ,n.d)..
Hazardous equipment environments, Avionics professionals often find themselves working in
hazardous equipment environments, where technology and potential risks demands a heightened
level of caution, such as extreme weather conditions and radiation exposure at high altitudes.
Aircrafts often operate in diverse weather conditions, which includes extreme temperature and
turbulence. The flight and maintenance crews face the challenges during winter operations
dealing with ice formation and accumulation on aircraft surfaces or challenges during hot
weather which will affect engine performance.
Radiation exposure at high altitudes, flight crews and passengers at high altitudes are exposed to
higher levels of cosmic radiation. While the risk is generally low, it becomes a consideration for
those who frequently fly at high altitudes. Pilots and crew members are classified as radiation
workers, and airlines implement measures to monitor and limit exposure. Also hazardous
environments include, Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) although this doesn’t have any
adverse effects on the personnel, it does pose a threat to the equipment. Avionics equipment is
prone to malfunctions or damage due to electromagnetic interference, which can be generated by
other electronic systems on aircraft or external sources. For example, HIRF (High Intensity
Radio Frequency) or Radio Frequency interference onboard communication systems can affect
the navigation and communication systems which the pilots and ground operatives highly depend
on. The above-mentioned challenges involve intense safety protocols and receiving equipment
specific training and incorporating design features to prevent further damage to the
equipment,and enhance avionics systems to ensure the well being of the working personnel in
and around the aircraft (Ausrotas, et al.,)
Enhancement of Avionics safety standards, include European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA)
and Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) standards are implemented worldwide to keep pace with
technological advancement. The enhancement of safety standards becomes a continuous process,
which involves issues of avionics systems and Human Machine Interface. Design redundancy
and documentation traceability are the few points to be considered for the enhancement of safety
standards..
Human-Machine Interface (HMI) is considered more important and central to overall designing.
As avionics started growing more complex, more information has become available and is
consolidated into the system. This system is a complex one with many interrelated human and
machine components, its vital point however is the human. The classic term “Pilot error” or
Human Error” is attributed to accidents and incidents over 75% of time according a study
conducted in United States in 1994. Two incidents to help clarify the issues involved and to
demonstrate that regardless of a perfect job , systems problems combined with errors still causes
serious incidents(Drury,n.d).
Case 1:
Lockheed L-1011. An in-flight turn-around was caused by all three engines failing on a flight
from the USA to the Caribbean when the oil leaked out of each. The oil leak was caused by
missing “O” rings on the magnetic chip detectors. They were missing because the mechanic had
not noticed that the new chip detectors were not fitted with “O” rings in the usual way. All work
was performed outside in darkness, where a black “O” ring was difficult to see. Until that night,
chip detectors had always come with “O” rings attached, even though the mechanic had to sign
for both components. The new packaging still said they were ready for use. (Drury,n.d).
Case 2:
BAC-111. During industrial action at the airline, a maintenance manager changed a windshield
himself. He had not performed this task for two years, but checked the Maintenance Manual and
it looked straightforward. He replaced 80 of the 84 bolts. The correct bolts were A211-8D,
although A211-7D were on the old windshield. He matched the old bolts to new ones in a stores
bin, but chose A211-8C, which was the correct length but the wrong thread. They engaged in the
holes, but he used the wrong torque in setting them. Also because of the awkward posture
required he could not see the bolts tighten. On the first flight, the windshield blew out, severely
injuring the pilot and forcing an in-flight turn-around. (Drury,n.d).
As a result of such incidents, the public has become more aware of the importance of aircraft
maintenance as a safety issue. As for the issues concerning avionics system, high complexity and
it often incorporates numerous diverse components so ensuring seamless communication and
compatibility can be challenging. In short , the real magnitude of complexity growth on modern
aircraft is well hidden inside the onboard computers but draws out whenever its requires deep
analysis. To overcome these high maintenance issues, few research and development has been
carried out.
Design redundancy, redundancy introduces an additional layer of assurance by duplicating
components or even entire systems. In the event of a failure, the redundant system can
seamlessly take over, reducing downtime and potentially catastrophic consequences. When it
comes to avionics system redundancy it involves Hardware and software redundancy in some
cases data redundancy depending on the level of security needed for the flight operation (Lee,
2023). A demonstration of this, Airbus, a prominent aircraft manufacturer, embraces redundancy
in its designs to enhance safety. By replicating critical sensors, computers, and actuators, Airbus
achieves a robust system that can handle component failures without compromising overall
performance. For instance, if an Airbus experiences a complete loss of engine power, a ram air
turbine can power the aircraft's most vital systems, enabling the pilot to glide and safely land the
plane, as demonstrated in the incident involving Air Transat Flight 236. But important note,
while implementing redundancy is an effective approach, It could provide a false sense of
security in the sense over reliance on the system which might lead to complacency in identifying
and addressing underlying issues (Williams,2023).
Another one of the enhancing factors for avionic safety would be proper “Documentation and
Traceability”, which is to maintain comprehensive documentation of the avionics system design.
This documentation should provide a clear understanding of the system architecture, interfaces,
and safety measures implemented. And ensure compliance with the respective authority
regulations and standards such as European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) or the Federal
Aviation Authority (FAA), in recent times a new network has been changing safety nodes in
major fields. Blockchain , A blockchain is “a distributed database that maintains a continuously
growing list of ordered records, called blocks.” These blocks “are linked using cryptography.
Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp, and transaction
data. The reason why this is being suggested to the aviation industry is due to ASPM (Aircraft
Spare Parts Inventory Management) which is an important operation in the maintenance , repair
and overhaul (MRO) organization , it is meant to manage sufficient spare parts supplies for
maintenance services and prevent spare-parts-related flight cancellations and aircraft-on-ground
(AOG) situations. It has been the key to success for MRO organizations and airlines in terms of
optimum MRO efficiency throughout decades of air transportation service. One of the significant
characteristics of Aircraft Spare Parts Inventory Management (ASPM) is tracing and tracking
aircraft parts, both inter-organizational and externally, across the supply chain. There have been
intensive discussions in proposing blockchain applications in business management in recent
years, since the research in blockchain related implementations in Aircraft Spare Parts Inventory
Management (ASPM) is still at proposal stage due to lack of knowledge in this area in the
industry (Ho,et al.,2021).
It is feasible to believe that blockchain, with the capability of processing transactions with
consensus under decentralized ledgers and hashing both tangible and intangible assets, can
achieve secured and transparent aircraft part provenance data throughout the life cycle.
In conclusion, the above addressed issues and enhancement factor of avionics safety are
narrowed down to familiarize, focus and provide precise research essay. technological
advancements propel aircraft to new heights , avionics safety emerges as the unwavering
guardian of flight reliability, security, and functionality. This research paper has delved into the
intricate details and explains the safety standards. But also the issues that have been addressed
include the enhancement factor of avionics implemented currently and about the on going
research on further enhancement. The journey to enhance avionics safety is an ongoing narrative,
shaped by the challenges encountered, the lessons learned, and the steadfast pursuit of excellence
in the intricate intersection where electronics and aviation converge. safety needs to continue
improving and ensuring the skies are not just a realm of technological marvels but a sanctuary of
safety for every passenger and crew member on board.