Research papers

The Effects of Training and Flight Director Use on Pilot Monitoring Performance: A Sensemaking Approach

The need for improved pilot monitoring and awareness has been widely recognized, and training is a possible intervention. Based on our sensemaking-model of monitoring, we identified key properties of monitoring flight pa…

Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS)

This overview of the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) will describe the genesis of the program, report processing procedures, and safety products that are produced from the ASRS data.

Pilot Workload is Associated with Long Duty Days and Multiple Flight Legs

Pilot workload is a real concern throughout aviation, especially in short-haul operations due to short flights and multiple flight legs.

A Cognitive Walkthrough of Multiple Drone Delivery Operations

Advances of early twenty-first century aviation and transportation technologies provide opportunities for enhanced aerial projects, and the overall integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the National Airspac…

Sleep Obtained by Cabin Crewmembers during a Long-haul Flight

Sleep loss and circadian disruption pose a significant risk in safety-sensitive occupations. In aviation, many studies have demonstrated how inflight rest locations influence alertness and performance among pilots, but f…

A Guide for Aircraft Certification by Analysis

Analysis-based means of compliance for airplane and engine certification, commonly known as "Certification by Analysis" (CbA), provides a strong motivation for the development and maturation of current and future flight …

GA-ASI Final Report and Program Wrap-up for NASA System Integration and Operationalization (SIO)

The NASA SIO demonstration flight of April 3, 2020 represents a successful culmination of 18 months of coordinated effort between GA-ASI, NASA, the FAA, Collins Aerospace, and Honeywell Aerospace to operate a Medium Alti…

Sleep, Sleepiness, and Performance Across Three In-Flight Bunk Rest Opportunities

Introduction: Airline pilots are required to take a rest break in a bunk during long-haul flights in an effort to reduce sleepiness during critical phases of flight.

Sleep Obtained by Cabin Crewmembers during a Long-haul Flight

Sleep loss and circadian disruption pose a significant risk in safety-sensitive occupations. In aviation, many studies have demonstrated how inflight rest locations influence alertness and performance among pilots, but f…

Fit2Fly Project

NASA’s Fit2Fly project wants to make future commercial drone fleet operations routine, safe, and boring. How can future operators of commercial drone fleets know without a doubt that their aircraft are fit to fly? It is …

Analysis of Pilot Monitoring Skills and a Review of Training Effectiveness

The commercial aviation industry world-wide has identified a need for improved pilot monitoring and awareness (e.g., FAA, 2013, ICAO, 2016).

Certification

Objective 1: Provide regulators with a methodology for development of airworthiness requirements for certification of UAS. a) Rationale: a comprehensive methodology does not currently exist to support development of regu…

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration in the National Airspace System (NAS) Project KDP-C Review

The topics discussed are the UAS-NAS project life-cycle and ARMD thrust flow down, as well as the UAS environments and how we operate in those environments.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems Demand and Economic Benefit Forecast Study

This presentation describes the need to calculate projections for the demands and benefits of operating commercial unmanned aircraft within the NAS.

UAS Integration in the NAS Project UAS Commericalization Industry Conference

Description and Update of NASA UAS in the NAS Project

NASA UAS Integration Efforts

This is a benefit to NASA because of all the networking opportunities as well as sharing information about UAS-NAS within the UAS community. NASA has developed, and is executing, a Cohesive Strategy for UAS Integration

Identification of Human Factors in Unmanned Aviation Via Pilot Incident Reports

There is a need for incident data relevant to the operation of civilian unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the National Air Space (NAS).

Collaborative Experiments and Computations in Aircraft Icing

The formation of ice over lifting surfaces can affect aerodynamic performance. The ability to predict ice accumulation and the resulting degradation in vehicle performance is essential to determine the limitations of air…

The Hazard of Volcanic Ash Ingestion

A research team of U.S. Government agencies and engine manufacturers conducted an experiment to test volcanic-ash ingestion by a NASA owned engine in the same family as the PW 2000 that was donated by the U.S.

Technical highlights in general aviation

Improvements in performance, safety, efficiency, and emissions control in general aviation craft are reviewed. While change is slow, the U.S.

High Speed Mobility Through On-Demand Aviation

Game changing advances come about by the introduction of new technologies at a time when societal needs create the opportunity for new market solutions.

Evaluating Nextgen Closely Spaced Parallel Operations Concepts with Validated Human Performance Models: Flight Deck Guidelines

The objectives of the current research were to develop valid human performance models (HPMs) of approach and land operations; use these models to evaluate the impact of NextGen Closely Spaced Parallel Operations (CSPO) o…

Funding and Strategic Alignment Guidance for Infusing Small Business Innovation Research Technology Into Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Projects at NASA Glenn Research Center for 2015

This document is intended to enable the more effective transition of NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) SBIR technologies funded by the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program as well as its companion, the Small …

Optimal Trajectories for the Helicopter in One-Engine-Inoperative Terminal-Area Operations

This paper presents a summary of a series of recent analytical studies conducted to investigate One-Engine-Inoperative (OEI) optimal control strategies and the associated optimal trajectories for a twin engine helicopter…

NACA Crash Fire Research

This video provides a better understanding of the important factors involved in the start and spread of crash fires, as a necessary first step leading to significant reduction in the crash fire hazards.

Flight investigation of a four-dimensional terminal area guidance system for STOL aircraft

A series of flight tests and fast-time simulations were conducted, using the augmentor wing jet STOL research aircraft and the STOLAND 4D-RNAV system to add to the growing data base of 4D-RNAV system performance capabili…

Current and future developments in civil aircraft non-destructive evaluation from an operator's point of view

In June, 1988, the first International Conference on aging aircraft was held to address nondestructive tests (NDT) of aging aircraft and other issues.