7.5 - Research: Operational Risk Management

                                                                                                                            

7.5 - Research: Operational Risk Management

Greg D. Laxton

ASCI 638 – Human Factors in Unmanned Aeronautical Systems

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide

26 February 2017

Introduction

            The DJI Phantom 4 Pro retails for approximately 1,499 dollars and is a popular product from the largest sUAS maker DJI (DJI, 2017). DJI is a Shenzhen, China company and is the biggest consumer sUAS maker by revenue (Wall Street Journal, 2014). The Phantom 4 Pro is a very sophisticated sUAS which claims 30 minutes of flight time, 4K video resolution, a 7 km. control range and forward speed of 72 km/h (DJI, 2017).

            Prior to flying the Phantom 4 Pro, a user should conduct a risk assessment to identify and evaluate the hazards associated with operating a 3.1 lb. 72 km/h UAV (DJI, 2017). This is a prudent step and should help avoid injury to bystanders and possible damage to property.

Preliminary Hazard List

            The preliminary hazard list (PHL) is a product for the operator to identify “initial safety issues” (Barnhart, 2012, p. 124) associated with the intended uses of the sUAS. The columns below are examples from the PHL list in chapter 8, of the assigned reading (Barnhart, 2012, p. 125). For this exercise, we are planning to operate the DJI Phantom 4 Pro for one hour at a construction site. The contractor has asked us to evaluate the building and site development progress. This is our initial visit the site and before operating, the DJI team will need to identify hazards and assign a risk level to each.

            The building site for this exercise is an urban apartment building covering approximately 2 acres. The adjoining lots are inhabited on the West, South and East perimeters. On the West is another apartment building and the Sought and East sides have small strip malls. To the North of the construction site is undeveloped wetlands. The FAA waivers and city approvals are in place to operate the Phantom 4 Pro. Figure 1 has the summary of identified hazards and the assigned risk levels.

PRELIMINARY HAZARD LIST/ANALYSIS (PHL/A) Date:  02/26/2017                    Prepared By:   Laxton, G                             Page: 1 of 1
Operational Stage:     X   Planning     ___Staging     ___Launch     ___Flight     ___Recovery
HAZARD	PROBABLILITY	SEVERITY	RL	MITIGATING ACTION	RRL	NOTES
A) Pedestrians on perimeter sidewalks	High	High	High	Obtain permit to close sidewalks temporarily during filming	Low	Cleared sidewalks will offer a buffer zone between roadway and job site
B) Power lines on West boundary	High	High	Med	Place observer underneath in communication with operator	Low	Customer representative with high vis vest and hardhat
C) Overflight of people on job site	Medium	Medium	Medium	Broadcast to all that sUAS is in flight for next 30 minutes	Low	All customer safety gear in place
D) Lost link	Low	Low	Low	Brief customer representative on DJI lost link action plan	Low	Lost link plan to return DJI to specified clear area
E) Airspace	Medium	Medium	Medium	Assure maximum altitude	Low	sUAS can be programmed to limit maximum altitude
RL=Risk Level, RRL=Residual Risk Level

Figure 1 Preliminary Hazard Analysis of building site

Preliminary Hazard Analysis

            The preliminary hazard analysis (PHA) in Figure 2 was completed during staging on day one. The whole team has reviewed the PHA, offered inputs and agreed to the analysis. After the team visit to the site, no additional hazards were identified.

OPERATIONAL HAZARD REVIEW & ANALYSIS (OHR&A) Date:  02/26/2017                    Prepared By:   Laxton, G                             Page: 1 of 1
Operational Stage:     ___ Planning     _X_Staging     ___Launch     ___Flight     ___Recovery
ITEM #	ACTION REVIEW	PROBABLILITY	SEVERITY	RL	MITIGATING ACTION	RRL	NOTES
A) Pedestrians	Complete	Low	High	Medium	Additional personnel at all sidewalk access points	Low
B) Power lines	Complete	Low	Medium	Medium	Personnel in place	Low	Personnel assigned and in place
C) Overflight	Complete	Low	Medium	Medium	Direct overflight of individuals will be avoided by operator	Low	Flight route plan approved
D) Lost link	Complete	Low	Low	Low	Lost link procedure programmed into memory and ready	Low	Jerry was able to find and designate lost link target location
E)	Complete	Low	Low	Low	Airspace overlaying proposed work area is Class G	Low	No ATC approvals required
RL=Risk Level, RRL=Residual Risk Level

Figure 2 Preliminary Hazard Analysis during staging

sUAS Risk Assessment

            Once the PHL and OHR&A are complete for the specific area, and the operating crew have been identified and the pilot in command (PIC) assigned, then the standard risk assessment (RA) form is completed (figure 3). This form attempts to identify risks associated with every flight, and risks that might be present only on operations day, such as gusty winds or low visibility. The primary and backup pilots have been identified, and they will complete the form below. It is essential that the operating crew complete the RA form and the PIC is responsible for returning the completed document to the supervisor in charge.

sUAS RISK ASSESSMENT Date:  02/26/2017                    Prepared By:   Laxton, G                             Page: 1 of 1 UAS Crew/Station:     _Laxton (pic)__/_DJI A____        ____Hammond____/__DJI B___
Item	Pilot A	Pilot B	Description	Mitigation	Risk Level	Supervisor Concurrance
Crew experience (total)	425 Hours	27 Hours		none	Low	N/A
Crew experience (on type)	145 Hours	6 Hours		none	High
Observer experience	12 Hours		James May	None	Low	N/A
Regulatory compliance	Verified and will be responsible for all preflight duties	Assist Pilot A
Visibility			6 miles	none
Airspace			Class G	none
Winds			4-7 knots	calm after 1530 local time	Medium
Mission altitude			Under 400ft AGL	none	Low
Lost Link procedure			Return to Southwest corner of construction site	complete	Low
RISK LEVEL *All risks area identified as “high” will need supervisor of flying signature prior to operation

Figure 3 Preliminary Hazard Analysis during staging

Aircraft Number: ___DJI A_______ Aircraft Type: ___DJI Phantom 4 Pro________

Flight Released By: ____Jeremy Clarkson____ Date: __02/26/2017______ Time: ___1400_____

            Some of the considerations for this day are forecasted winds in excess of 7 knots, low operating experience of pilot #2, and regulatory compliance. The winds and visibility are obtained from the National Weather Service forecasted and are predicted to include gusts from 4-7 knots, with them dying down after 1530 local. The second pilot, J Hammond, has limited experience operating the Phantom 4 and lists only 6 hours of flight time in his logbook. This requires a “high” designation for assigned risk level. The supervisor, from the U.K. office, Jeremy Clarkson, will have to initial the RA form prior to flight. The airspace overlying the work area is Class G, and not requiring any ATC approvals before flight. The PIC will assume responsibility for flight restriction compliance under FAA Part 107 (Federal Aviation Administration, 2016).

Summary

            If the DJI Phantom 4 Pro operating team take the time to complete the PHL, OHR&A and finally the RA, they should be able to identify the hazards at the job site. Not all risk can be eliminated, but with proper hazard identification, a clear plan to mitigate the issues, and an honest risk assessment, the operation should be able to safely conduct the flights.

  

References

Barnhart, R. K. (2012). Safety Assessments. In Introduction to unmanned aircraft systems (pp. 123-135). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

DJI. (2017). Buy Phantom 4 Pro | DJI Store. Retrieved from http://store.dji.com/product/phantom-4-pro#/?_k=m6fq7l

Federal Aviation Administration. (2016, June 21). SUMMARY OF SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT RULE (PART 107). Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/uas/media/Part_107_Summary.pdf

Wall Street Journal. (2014, November 10). Who Builds the World’s Most Popular Drones? - WSJ. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/who-builds-the-worlds-most-popular-drones-1415645659

6.5 - Research: Automatic Takeoff and Landing

6.5 - Research: Automatic Takeoff and Landing

Greg D. Laxton

ASCI 638 – Human Factors in Unmanned Aeronautical Systems

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide

19 February 2017

Autoland and the Boeing 787

The automatic landing system on the Boeing 787 family of aircraft can precisely bring the jet to the desired runway. The pilot must select an approach from the flight management computer options, engage the autopilot and autothrottle system, and then push the approach button. Of course the pilot will still have to lower the landing gear, arm the speedbrake, complete the required checklist, communicate with ATC and select a landing flaps, but, if all this is done, the plane will land itself. The aircraft makes adjustments to the flight path to counter crosswinds, keeping the plane properly aligned with the landing runway.

The pilot can disconnect the autopilot during an autoland at any time, assuming manual control. Whether or not the landing can continue is dependent on the weather conditions, specifically the visibility at the landing runway, but once the automation is disconnected, the pilot is again in control of the flight path. The aircraft conducts a self-test of the autoland system early in the approach and alerts the pilot to any degraded systems or malfunctions. If the autoland mechanism fail during the approach, and depending on the failure, the pilot will hear an audible warning and see an alert light. The autopilot may or may not disengage, the system lets the pilot know it is downgraded and relies on his judgement to continue the approach or not. Crewmembers all receive autoland training during type rating qualification. The Boeing 787 autoland system is a very sophisticated and reliable function of the airplane.

Insitu Mark 4 launcher

The Insitu ScanEagle, Integrator and RQ-21A Blackjack line of UAS have automated takeoff and landing capability. The UAS are usually launched using the Mark 4 Launcher, a trailer-mounted platform weighing over 4,000 lbs. (Insitu, 2015). The Mark 4 is self-powered with an onboard diesel generator and air compressor. It uses a catapult mechanism to sling the different Insitu models up to flying speed. The operator then remotely pilots the UAS.

Insitu Mark 3 SkyHook

For landing, the Insitu UAS are “caught” in a proprietary recovery system call the “SkyHook” (Insitu, 2015). The SkyHook is also portable and self-powered like the launching system and it allows the Insitu UAS to be recovered after flight without the need for a runway. The UAS are automatically guided to the SkyHook, which has a suspended cable that snags the swept back wing, capturing the aircraft. Navigation to the SkyHook is augmented with kinematic GPS for precision “approach and capture” (Insitu, 2015). Training to operate the various Insitu UAS models can be conducted during a 10 week operator course (Insitu, 2015).

Limitations and Recommendations

            There are limitations to the launch and recovery equipment. The machines are heavy, require a tow vehicle and at least one operator to set up and load the devices (Insitu, 2015). The size of the Mark 4 and SkyHook will limit the UAS ability to deploy in difficult or heavily wooded terrain, so any improvements to the portability would help mitigate these issues. Regarding automation of the three Insitu UAS, an operator is required for set up and recovery, but the flight is operated from a GCS with either direct pilot input, or via pre-programmed route of flight.

References

Insitu. (2015). Mark 4 Launcher. Retrieved from https://insitu.com/images/uploads/pdfs/Launcher_Mark4_INT_ProductCard_PR041615.pdf

Insitu. (2015). Mark 3 SkyHook. Retrieved from https://insitu.com/images/uploads/pdfs/SkyHook_Mark3_ProductCard_PR051915.pdf

5.6 - Research: Shift Work Schedule

                                                                            

5.4 - Research: Shift Work Schedule

Greg D. Laxton

ASCI 638 – Human Factors in Unmanned Aeronautical Systems

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide

12 February 2017

Introduction

Combatting the fatiguing schedules associated with shift work is like battling jet lag for aircrew during long haul operations. The body has a hard time adjusting to the new sleep schedule. A rule of thumb among travelers, is that the body will require one day of adjustment for every hour of the new time zone (Science Daily, 2013). My proposal is to gradually shift the work report times for the MQ-1B squadron by one hour per day.

If the crews must change quickly between day, swing and night schedules, there really is no way to avert significant fatigue. This is what Schroeder found with his examination of FAA air traffic controllers. They used a “2- 2-1” schedule, which correlated to higher fatigue in his study (Schroeder, 2008).

Current Schedule Review

The four teams in the provided schedule have been placed on a “6 on 2 off rotating shift schedule” by the MQ -1B squadron. This current schedule has the teams in a rotation from day, to swing to night shift. There are six days of work in a row, followed by two scheduled days off. The day shift from 0730-1600 is a normal work period and shouldn’t be contributing to the fatigue claimed by the teams. The swing shift work hours from 1530-2400 is a little harder on the body clock, but after two off days in the schedule, it should not be contributing greatly to the complaints of fatigue. Lastly, the night shift from 2330-0800, is the primary culprit. These hours are very difficult to adjust to, even after two off days in the current schedule. This schedule is a clockwise rotation, meaning the shifts become later, with each eight-day block.

Shift Work and Fatigue

Shift work is different from adjusting to new time zones required as an international traveler, because in the new location, the sunrise and sunset help the body cope with the new day/night schedule. During shift work, in the same time zone, the natural light of sunrise and sunset is not in sync with the body clock and the new work / rest schedule, which slows the body’s adjustment. However, the idea of adjusting slowly, by one hour per day, is sound and worth trying for this squadron.

The internal body clock “gradually resets itself, at an average rate of an hour a day” (Merz, 2016). A more gradual adjustment to the shift schedule, would benefit the four squadron teams.  If the teams move one hour per day, it may allow the internal body clock to more slowly adjust to the sleep / rest cycle. I agree with Burgess (Burgess, M.D., M.P.H., 2007, p. S91), that a clockwise rotation is preferred. Gradually moving the shift to the right appears to be easier than earlier reporting each day.

Recommendation

My recommendation is to get rid of the day, swing and night shifts, replacing them with 24 schedules, as noted in the attachment. In my proposal, Team 1 would report as normal on day one and work from 0730-1600, on day two, their schedule is one hour later, from 0830-1700, and so on. After six work days, they would have two off. Each team would start on a different rotation, but after 24 calendar days, they would be back to the beginning of the schedule. Team 4 is the fill in team, where they do not precisely roll one hour each day. They will have adequate rest when they switch day to night, etc. I recommend assessing the fatigue levels of all four teams after three months of this schedule to validate the new rotation.

  

References

Burgess, M.D., M.P.H., P. A. (2007). Optimal Shift Duration and Sequence: Recommended Approach for Short-Term Emergency Response Activations for Public Health and Emergency Management. American Public Health Association, 97, S88-S92.

Merz, B. (2016, September 8). Resetting your circadian clock to minimize jet lag - Harvard Health Blog - Harvard Health Publications. Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/resetting-your-circadian-clock-to-minimize-jet-lag-2016090810279

Schroeder, D. (2008, June 17). Sleep/Wake Cycles and Performance of ATC Operators. Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/afs/afs200/media/aviation_fatigue_symposium/SchroederAppComplete.pdf

Science Daily. (2013, August 29). Jet lag: Why the body clock is slow to adjust to time changes. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130829124013.htm

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