Harvard Aircraft Maintenance Manuals
Ramiro Syring
Aircraft maintenance technician decision-making and actions have resulted in aircraft system errors causing aircraft incidents and accidents. Aircraft accident investigators and researchers examined the factors that influence aircraft maintenance technician errors and categorized the types of errors in an attempt to prevent similar occurrences. New aircraft technology introduced to improve aviation safety and efficiency incur failures that have no information contained in the aircraft maintenance manuals. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, aircraft maintenance technicians must use only approved aircraft maintenance documents to repair, modify, and service aircraft. This qualitative research used a grounded theory approach to explore the decision-making processes and actions taken by aircraft maintenance technicians when confronted with an aircraft problem not contained in the aircraft maintenance manuals. The target population for the research was Federal Aviation Administration licensed aircraft and power plant mechanics from across the United States. Nonprobability purposeful sampling was used to obtain aircraft maintenance technicians with the experience sought in the study problem. The sample population recruitment yielded 19 participants for eight focus group sessions to obtain opinions, perceptions, and experiences related to the study problem. All data collected was entered into the Atlas ti qualitative analysis software. The emergence of Aircraft Maintenance Technician decision-making themes regarding Aircraft Maintenance Manual content, Aircraft Maintenance Technician experience, and legal implications of not following Aircraft Maintenance Manuals surfaced. Conclusions from this study suggest Aircraft Maintenance Technician decision-making were influenced by experience, gaps in the Aircraft Maintenance Manuals, reliance on others, realizing the impact of decisions concerning aircraft airworthiness, management pressures, and legal concerns related to decision-making. Recommendations included an in-depth systematic review of the Aircraft Maintenance Manuals, development of a Federal Aviation Administration approved standardized Aircraft Maintenance Technician decision-making flow diagram, and implementation of risk based decision-making training. The benefit of this study is to save the airline industry revenue by preventing poor decision-making practices that result in inefficient maintenance actions and aircraft incidents and accidents.
Change is coming to aircraft maintenance, and those unprepared will be left behind, regulated to the scrap bin of history. Paper-based work orders, cardboard job cards, and Component Maintenance Manuals (CMM) in three-ring binders are going the way of the VHS, typewriters, and white-out.
Maintaining an aircraft is a demanding task that requires extensive knowledge of thousands of individual parts. Lugging around paper or PDF manuals is often impractical and difficult for those working in the hangars. Augmented reality (AR) is making it possible for aviation technicians to access technical manuals, 3D models, and consult other skilled professionals while simply wearing a headset. The technology has multiple benefits that can enhance the efficiency and accuracy of inspections, routine maintenance, and training efforts.
Upon landing, all commercial passenger planes undergo a thorough inspection by an MRO engineer. The inspection covers everything from the engines to the onboard Wi-Fi. It is a repetitive, yet crucial task that requires engineers to carry a paper-based job card with multiple pages throughout the entirety of the inspection; some planes are so large it takes over 200 steps just to circle the aircraft. Utilizing AR glasses allows engineers and maintenance technicians to work hands free while simultaneously accessing work instructions, editing and reorganizing their job list, capturing evidence to log job details, and accessing multimodal sources.
Another benefit of the AR for maintenance is the potential to standardize job performance. AR glasses can guide engineers through the inspection process, allowing them to seamlessly move from one task to the next without worrying about where they placed their papers. The technology can even allow maintenance teams to practice inspections without the physical aircraft present to improve their efficiency when it comes time to perform a real inspection.
In addition, AR for maintenance allows techs the opportunity to interact with hundreds of different aircraft parts from a variety of planes in highly realistic simulations. Trainees have the chance to learn how to properly inspect and repair aircraft in an environment nearly identical to the physical world.
Augmented reality (AR) is transforming aviation (and other industrial) maintenance by improving efficiency, accuracy, and training. AR glasses enable hands-free access to manuals and expert guidance, as well as standardizing procedures, therefore reducing errors. AR for maintenance also addresses the technician shortage by enhancing training capabilities and making maintenance processes easier, quicker, more cost-effective, and more attractive to a younger workforce. AR for maintenance can revolutionize industry, promising a brighter future for both experienced professionals and the next generation of maintenance technicians.
Understand the ICAO Standards and Regulatory Procedures (SARPs), regulations (JARs, FARs) and requirements relating to aircraft certification and continuing airworthiness, and learn how to apply these processes in your organization. Master the processes involved in obtaining and holding an Air Operator Certificate (AOC): relevant documentation; elements of a maintenance program; manuals, logs and records. Know the processes relevant to Approved Maintenance Organizations (AMO) including Quality Assurance and building a Training Program.
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