THE VARIOUS HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH AVIATION

1. THE VARIOUS HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH AVIATION Definitions Hazard – Condition, object or activity with the potential of causing injuries to personnel, damage to equipment or structures, loss of material, or reduction of ability to perform a prescribed function. Consequence of a hazard – Potential outcome(s) of the hazard. Francis Lasalo Ngonga

2. Cont. Definitions For example - A wind of 15 knots blowing directly across the runway is a hazard. The potential that a pilot may not be able to control the aircraft during takeoff or landing is one of the consequences of the hazard. Types of hazards ICAO defines them as natural, technical and economic. Typical examples: Natural - Severe weather or climatic events e.g. hurricanes, major winter storms, drought, tornadoes, thunderstorms lighting, and wind shear; Francis Lasalo Ngonga

3. Cont. of types of hazards Adverse weather conditions e.g. Icing, freezing precipitation, heavy rain, snow, winds, and restrictions to visibility; Geophysical events e.g. earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, floods and landslides. Geographical conditions e.g. adverse terrain or large bodies of water. Environmental events e.g. wildfires, wildlife activity, and insect or pest infestation. Public health events e.g. epidemics of influenza or other diseases. Francis Lasalo Ngonga

4. Cont. of types of hazards Technical - Deficiencies regarding: • E.g.: aircraft and aircraft components, systems, subsystems and related equipment. • E.g.: an organization’s facilities, tools, and related equipment. • E.g.: facilities, systems, sub-systems and related equipment that are external to the organization. Economic - Major trends related to growth, recession, cost of material or equipment, etc. Francis Lasalo Ngonga

5. Hazard identification In order to identify hazards, consider: • Design factors, including equipment and task design. • Procedures and operating practices, including documentation and checklists. • Communications, including means, terminology and language. • Organizational factors, such as company policies for recruitment, training, remuneration and allocation of resources. • Work environment factors, such as ambient noise and vibration, temperature, lighting and protective equipment and clothing. Francis Lasalo Ngonga

6. Cont. Hazard identification • Regulatory factors, including the applicability and enforceability of regulations; certification of equipment, personnel and procedures; and the adequacy of oversight. • Defences including detection and warning systems, and the extent to which the equipment is resilient against errors and failures. • Human performance, including medical conditions and physical limitations. Francis Lasalo Ngonga

7. Cont. Hazard identification • Internal • Flight Data Analysis • Company voluntary reporting system • Audits and surveys • External • Accident reports • State mandatory occurrence system • As a reminder • Predictive • Proactive • Reactive Francis Lasalo Ngonga

8. Cont. Hazard identification • By whom? • By anybody • By designated personnel • How? • Through formal processes • Depends on the organization • When? • Anytime • Under specific conditions Francis Lasalo Ngonga

9. Cont. Hazard identification • Specific conditions - Unexplained increase in safety-related events or infractions, major operational changes are foreseen, periods of significant organizational change Francis Lasalo Ngonga

10. Hazard analysis • ABC of hazard analysis A – State the generic hazard (hazard statement) • Airport construction B – Identify specific components of the hazard • Construction equipment • Closed taxiways, etc C – Naturally leading to specific consequence(s) • Aircraft colliding with construction equipment • Aircraft taking wrong taxiway, etc Francis Lasalo Ngonga

11. Cont. Hazard analysis • Efficient and safe operations or provision of service require a constant balance between production goals... • maintaining regular aerodrome operations during a runway construction project • ...and safety goals • maintaining existing margins of safety in aerodrome operations during runway construction project • Aviation workplaces may contain hazards which may not be cost-effective to address even when operations must continue Francis Lasalo Ngonga

12. Cont. Hazard analysis • Appropriate documentation management is important as: • It is a formal procedure to translate operational safety data into hazard-related information. • It becomes the “safety library” of an organization. • Tracking and analysis of hazards is facilitated by standardizing: Definitions, understanding, validation, reporting, measurement, management Francis Lasalo Ngonga

13. Documentation of hazards Method Identification Management Documentation Information Reactive method • ASR • MOR • Incident reports • Accident reports Assess the consequences and prioritize the risks Assign responsibilities Safety management information “Safety library” Trend analysis Hazards Hazards Proactive method • ASR • Surveys • Audits Develop control and mitigation strategies Implement strategies Safety bulletins Report distribution Predictive method • FDA • Direct observation systems Inform person(s) responsible for implementing strategies Re-evaluate strategies and processes Seminars and workshops Feedback Francis Lasalo Ngonga

14. THE VARIOUS HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH AVIATION • Bird strikes (wild life) • Thunderstorms • Storms & high winds • Wake turbulences • Airborne volcanic ash • Radio active materials Francis Lasalo Ngonga

15. Bird strikes • Risk is higher when flying in bird sanctuaries – i.e. bird inhabited areas • Not easy to avoid bird strikes at the current high a/c speeds • Most bird strikes are between 50 & 800 ft. AGL Francis Lasalo Ngonga

16. Effects /consequences of bird strikes • Wind screen damages due to high impacts • Turbine engine ingestions • Tearing open skins • Rupturing hydraulic lines • Destroying propellers, compressor & turbine blades etc N.B. At slow speeds birds bounce off & at high speeds they penetrate Francis Lasalo Ngonga

17. Calculation of the K.E. produced E = ½*mv2 Where E is the K.E. in joules, m is the mass in kg and v is the speed in m/s Example for m of 500gm and v of 90 knots (46.3 m/s) E is 536 joules N.B. One joule = one kgm2/s2 Double mass you double E Double v you quadruple E Francis Lasalo Ngonga

18. Pilot’s responsibility • Avoid the birds – not the other way round. Some birds consider a/c an aggressor, want to out fly it. • Report bird strikes to relevant authorities • Get appropriate briefing from ATCs Francis Lasalo Ngonga

19. Other stakeholders responsibilities • All the stakeholders have a responsibility to do in minimizing bird strikes • Provide appropriate training to all Francis Lasalo Ngonga

20. Airborne volcanic ash • Eruptions from active volcanic mountains • Fine powdered or dusty, glassy, abrasive rock debris dispersed as airborne clouds over long distances that can remain in the atmosphere for days • Best safety strategy is to avoid encounters with volcanic ash • These have caused the industry millions of dollars Francis Lasalo Ngonga

21. Effects of the exposure on the a/c and its equipment • Degraded engine performance including engine flame out • Loss of visibility due to opacity of wind screen & landing lights • Failure of critical navigational & operational equipment due to plugging of the pitot-static system • Deposition of material on hot-section components • Erosion of compressor blades & rotor-path components Francis Lasalo Ngonga

22. Blockages of fuel nozzles & cooling passages • Contamination of the oil system & bleed-air supply • Contamination of the electronics • Erosion of the antenna surfaces • Impairment of the operations at airports within the vicinity & down wind side Francis Lasalo Ngonga

23. Known exposure encounters • Between 1971 & 2001 over 40 airports in 15 countries have had their operations severely affected including closures • From 1973 through to 2000 over 100 encounters have been documented • Engine failures have occurred 150 to 600 miles from the volcanic sources • Memorable examples include: The 1982 B747 flying at night with 240 pax in Indonesia (Galunggung volcano) – a/c lost power in all the 4 engines & descended from 37,000 ft to 25,000 ft. Crew Managed to restart 3 engines after 16 mins & safely landed in Jakarta; Francis Lasalo Ngonga

24. The 1989 B747 with 231 pax at Redoubt volcano in Alaska, USA – a/c was nearing landing at Anchorage International airport when it encountered the exposure. The 4 engines flamed out & crew managed to restart 3 engines with 2 minutes to ground impact Francis Lasalo Ngonga

25. Indications of an exposure • Smoke or very fine dust in the cabin • Acrid odour (like electrical smoke) • Low air speed indications • Cargo fire warnings (caused by ash triggering smoke detectors) • Static discharges (St Elmo’s fire) around windscreen, on wing, stabilizer or fin tips • White glow (searching effect) at engine inlets • Multiple engine malfunctions (increasing EGT, power loss, stall or flame out) Francis Lasalo Ngonga

26. General in-flight procedures upon encounter • Exit the ash cloud as quickly as possible – do not attempt to climb out of the ash cloud • Disconnect the autothrottle • Throttles at minimum – terrain permitting • Ignition on • Bleed air systems full on • Start APU when clear out of the ash cloud • Monitor EGT • Restart engines (if required) Francis Lasalo Ngonga

27. Monitor airspeed & pitch altitude • Place crew oxygen masks on 100% if ash enters the flight deck • Declare an emergency to ATC, if necessary • Transmit volcanic activity report • Land at the nearest airport Francis Lasalo Ngonga

28. Minimizing exposure hazard • Continuously monitor all known volcanoes • Have a clearly spelt procedure on the steps (operational & maintenance) to follow upon exposure • Utilize the 9 regional volcanic ash advisory centers (VAACs) established in 1995 in Darwin, Australia • Effectively train the key operational staff Francis Lasalo Ngonga

29. Hazards in the hangar • Aviation hazards are not just in flight they are on ground as well & could be chemical, mechanical, environmental or procedural but experts warn that ‘you find them before they find you’ • Hence necessity of an occupational safety & health administration (OSHA) • Oxygen and grease is a typical example – mix them & the consequences are well known • Inflation of tyres outside the recommended cages is also well known Francis Lasalo Ngonga

30. Fatalities have occurred when service personnel fail to observe mandatory warnings & precautions • Operational & maintenance manuals normally have warnings, precautions & notes which must be strictly followed • Aviation & hearing are not ‘buddies’ – appropriate care must be taken • Ensure that you read the material safety data sheet (MSDS) of any chemical you handle • Composite material used in a/c is toxic Francis Lasalo Ngonga

31. Chemicals often damage the environment if not appropriately disposed off • Initial & continuation training is absolutely necessary Francis Lasalo Ngonga

32. Clarifications, questions and feedback Thank you very much for your attention and cooperation Francis Lasalo Ngonga