RISK BASED GAP FILL FOR INDIVIDUAL AIRCRAFT TRACKING

摘要

Individual Aircraft Tracking systems rely on data recorded onboard each aircraft using Flight Data Recorders. The procedure by which this data is recorded, downloaded from the aircraft and transferred to a processing station, along with the memory constraints of the recorder, can result in periods of unacceptable or missing data. The latter must be accounted for when accumulating the total fatigue damage on each aircraft. Using the recorded data for each individual aircraft, it is possible to construct a statistical distribution of fatigue life for the fleet of aircraft. Using those fleet statistics and a measure of acceptable risk, usually determined by a full scale fatigue test, a method was developed to vary the Fatigue Life Expended rate used to gap fill the missing data such that an equivalent risk of exceeding a structural life limit is maintained. This paper will provide the method and the possible applications and limitations to the method.