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UK Department for Transport - Data mining on the ground contributes to safety in the air
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), part of the UK Department for Transport, is responsible for the investigation into the causes of civil aircraft accidents and makes safety recommendations to prevent recurrence. In 2008, when British Airways Flight 38 crash-landed just short of the runway at London Heathrow Airport, AAIB brought together a specialist team from government and industry to assist in the investigation. It engaged QinetiQ initially to provide independent statistical advice and later data mining and statistical analysis. As a result, the work has allowed AAIB to verify that the combination of fuel flow and fuel temperature for the flight was unusual, and has provided evidence to support the cause of the accident being due to a restriction to fuel flow in both engines. The AAIB has subsequently issued three safety recommendations to the civil air industry to prevent recurrence.
"We are grateful for both the independent advice and the statistical work QinetiQ has done for us on this particular investigation. There is no doubt that QinetiQ has made a significant contribution to the safety of UK flights to come."
Mark Ford, Senior Inspector of Air Accidents (Engineering), Air Accidents Investigation Branch, UK Department for Transport.
Mark Ford, Senior Inspector of Air Accidents (Engineering), Air Accidents Investigation Branch, UK Department for Transport.
Challenge
- The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), Department for Transport, needed to establish the cause of the British Airways Flight 38 crash-landing incident and to make safety recommendations to prevent recurrence.
- The AAIB pulled together a specialist team to assist in the investigation.
Solution
- AAIB engaged QinetiQ initially to provide independent advice in specific areas and later to support the investigation with data mining and statistical analysis.
- QinetiQ analysed minimum fuel temperature data obtained from approximately 141,000 flights of Boeing 777 aircraft.
- QinetiQ also analysed the Quick Access Recorder (QAR) data from 13,000 similar flights and using sophisticated data mining and statistical analysis techniques, reviewed over 374 million records.
Results
- QinetiQ provided a key technical assurance function to underpin the AAIB investigation.
- The statistical work conducted by QinetiQ assisted the AAIB in corroborating that restricted fuel flow was the cause of the accident, most probably due to ice within the fuel feed system.
- QinetiQ also provided aviation fuel sample analysis to determine its fitness for use, as well as providing expert advice on water and ice formation in jet fuels and possible methods of remediation.
- Further testing will now be carried out to establish more clearly how ice forms within the fuel system and how it might cause the fuel flow to be restricted.
- The AAIB has subsequently issued three safety recommendations to the civil air industry to prevent recurrence.
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