FAA Investigates

Aviation Comparing aviation statistics regarding accidents in the air and on the ground is an oftentimes tedious and analytical endeavor. Experts often have to first determine the catagory in which the aircraft can be placed; since there is a wide variety of commercial aircraft and pilots who may be flying (or attempting to fly) for many different purposes. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration defines commercial operations as " those carriers that operate aircraft in revenue service, either for the purpose of passenger or cargo transport" (U.S., 2013, p. 6).

The first item of business in analyzing data from an accident involving aircraft would likely be to ascertain who exactly would be investigating the accident. Accomplishing that objective may be a bit more complex than what one would think. As one recent study determined "aviation personnel are various groups of experts having various specializations and working in various areas of civil aviation" (Trifonov-Bogdanov, Vinogradov, Shestakov, 2013, p. 76).

Once the person (or persons) in charge of investigating exactly what took place in order for an accident to happen is chosen, one would think that the investigation would immediately get underway, and that is what does happen for the vast majority of accidents. Investigations don't necessarily have to be at the point of the accident in order for the investigation to begin. Depending on the circumstances, an investigation into a commercial aviation accident starts with computer technology.

The investigator wishes to ascertain just who and what is involved in the accident. The individuals or cargo on the flight, where the flight originated, where was the flight's destination and who was in charge of the flight is information that can (a lot of times) be immediately acquired through the use of computer technology. The key to an effective investigation however is to determine exactly what went wrong to lead to the accident.

The FAA states its mission as "to provide the safest, most efficient aviation system in the world" (Future, 2013, p. 8). In order to accomplish that stated mission, the individuals involved in investigating aviation accidents need to provide the determination of what took place, why it happened, and what can be done to ensure that it does not happen again. These goals and objectives are a daunting task. They can only be accomplished through careful and thorough investigative techniques.

Some of those techniques include the use of improved and more comprehensive computer analysis. Weather analytical tools, as well as systems and advanced technology that inter-link programs and systems allows for the opportunity to "dramatically change the way the current aviation system is operated" (Future, p. 8). Changing that system will allow the investigators to gather the data in a much more efficient and comprehensive manner.

As the Future report discovered, there is an on-going effort by the FAA to make better use of safety data in order to "focus and prioritize safety efforts through enhanced capabilities for identification, analysis, and mitigation development of incidents, accidents, and other safety-related data" (Future, p. 9). Using technology to address the how's, why's and wherefores.