On the Design of Flight-Deck Procedures - Intelligent Systems ...

and Black, 1993). This in turn brought new procedures, including an increased emphasis on pre-takeoffbriefings.13. Noise abatement. Example: Santa Ana, California.Locally imposed noise abatement procedures find their way into the cockpit. These may involve lowaltitudeturns away from populated areas, and low altitude power reductions on takeoff. One of the localrequirements most onerous to the pilots is found at John Wayne Airport at Santa Ana, California, whichrequires a power reduction at 1000 feet. There is a certain amount of “game playing” at some airports -pilots have in their Jeppesen manuals ground plots showing the location of the sound measuringmicrophones, and attempt to avoid these.14. Change in recommended maneuver. Example: Windshear detection and avoidance.As new data on windshear occurrences become available, procedures are fine-tuned for avoidance andescape maneuvers. There has been a dramatic change in procedure in the last five years. At one time itwas recommended that the crew apply maximum power and pitch up until actuating the stick shaker,trading airspeed for altitude in order to obtain maximum distance above terrain. The currentrecommended procedures specify that the crew not flirt with a stall, but pitch up to a level computed byon-board automation and displayed by the flight director, at an angle of attack that would stop short ofshaker actuation.15. Maintenance data. Example: Anti-skid.The engineering/maintenance department of one carrier discovered that the tire replacement rate of oneaircraft fleet was above the rates recorded at other carriers. It was found that skidding while taxiing ledto the high rate of tire change. The procedure was changed so that anti-skid was always activated.Subsequently, the rate of tire replacement dropped.16. New natural hazards. Example: Volcanic plumes.The eruption of volcanoes in the northwestern U.S., and in the Philippines in recent years has provided anew awareness of the hazard to navigation. New procedures for avoidance and management of thehazard for both the cockpit and ATC have recently been implemented.17. New man-made hazards (intentional and otherwise). Example: Terrorism.Persons external to the crew, intentionally or otherwise, often provide hazards to flight safety andsecurity. The appearance of terrorism directed toward commercial aircraft is an unfortunate example ofwilling introduction of hazards. Cockpit procedures and training are continually being revised as newforms of terrorism appear. An example of unintended, human-induced hazards would be the unsafepackaging and handling of hazardous cargo. This too impacts cockpit procedures.67