Share:


Safety management system and hazards in the aircraft maintenance industry: a systematic literature review

    Alok Tyagi Affiliation
    ; Rajesh Tripathi Affiliation
    ; Soufiane Bouarfa Affiliation

Abstract

In the last decade, the aircraft maintenance industry has experienced a paradigm shift in safety management. This is primarily due to the implementation of Safety Management Systems (SMS) in its business practices. The critical facet of such SMS recognizes hazards ahead of time. This review aims to undertake scholarly research to enable the identification of numerous hazards within the aircraft maintenance industry. This will be done by reviewing research articles indexed in Scopus and Web of Science databases from 2010 to September 2022. Complying with the guidelines of the PRISMA 2020 updated statement, the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methodology is adopted for the review. The SMS-based framework was formulated to determine the inclusion and exclusion criteria, which identified 39 studies for inclusion. The key outcomes are (i) Thirty-five studies identified six hazard-prone areas and associated hazards of the aircraft maintenance industry, whereas four research studies (two each) underscored the factors impeding the safety critical SMS enactment and organizational learning from past accidents and incidents, (ii) Reviewed literature is a mix of both reactive and proactive methodologies of hazard identification (iii) Learning from past events is critical in safety management.

Keyword : aircraft maintenance, safety, SMS, hazards, safety occurrences, accidents, incidents

How to Cite
Tyagi, A., Tripathi, R., & Bouarfa, S. (2023). Safety management system and hazards in the aircraft maintenance industry: a systematic literature review. Aviation, 27(3), 212–224. https://doi.org/10.3846/aviation.2023.19851
Published in Issue
Nov 15, 2023
Abstract Views
854
PDF Downloads
624
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References

Airbus. (2022). Global Market Forecast 2022–2041. Future journeys. Airbus, Blagnac, France. https://www.airbus.com/en/products-services/commercial-aircraft/market/global-market-forecast

Atak, A., & Kingma, S. (2011). Safety culture in an aircraft maintenance organisation: A view from the inside. Safety Science, 49(2), 268–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2010.08.007

Bağan, H., & Gerede, E. (2019). Use of a nominal group technique in the exploration of safety hazards arising from the outsourcing of aircraft maintenance. Safety Science, 118, 795–804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2019.06.012

Balcerzak, T. (2017). A “Just culture”? Conflicts of interest in the investigation of aviation accidents. Scientific Journal of Silesian University of Technology. Series Transport, 94, 5–17. https://doi.org/10.20858/sjsutst.2017.94.1

Boeing. (2022). Commercial market outlook 2023–2042. Boeing. https://www.boeing.com/commercial/market/commercial-market-outlook/index.page

Chang, Y.-H., & Wang, Y.-C. (2010). Significant human risk factors in aircraft maintenance technicians. Safety Science, 48(1), 54–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2009.05.004

Chatzi, A. V. (2018). Safety management systems: An opportunity and a challenge for military aviation organisations. Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 91(1), 190–196. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-05-2018-0146

Chen, S.-C. (2021). Off-stage heroes: The antecedents and consequences of job passion among civil aviation maintenance crew. The International Journal of Aerospace Psychology, 32(2–3), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/24721840.2021.1945928

Clare, J., & Kourousis, K. (2021a). Learning from incidents: A qualitative study in the continuing airworthiness sector. Aerospace, 8(2), 27. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace8020027

Clare, J., & Kourousis, K. I. (2021b). Analysis of continuing airworthiness occurrences under the prism of a learning framework. Aerospace, 8(2), 41. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace8020041

Clare, J., & Kourousis, K. I. (2021c). Learning from incidents in aircraft maintenance and continuing airworthiness management: A systematic review. Journal of Advanced Transportation, 2021, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8852932

EASA. (2017). EASA annual safety review. https://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/general-publications/annual-safety-review-2017

Elvira, V., Bernal, F., Hernandez-Coronado, P., Herraiz, E., Alfaro, C., Gomez, J., & Rios Insua, D. (2020). Safer skies over Spain. INFORMS Journal on Applied Analytics, 50(1), 21–36. https://doi.org/10.1287/inte.2019.1018

Gerede, E. (2015). A study of challenges to the success of the safety management system in aircraft maintenance organizations in Turkey. Safety Science, 73, 106–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2014.11.013

Gharib, S., Martin, B., & Neitzel, R. L. (2021). Pilot assessment of occupational safety and health of workers in an aircraft maintenance facility. Safety Science, 141, 105299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2021.105299

Grant, E., Salmon, P. M., Stevens, N. J., Goode, N., & Read, G. J. (2018). Back to the future: What do accident causation models tell us about accident prediction? Safety Science, 104, 99–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2017.12.018

Habib, K., & Turkoglu, C. (2020). Analysis of aircraft maintenance related accidents and serious incidents in Nigeria. Aerospace, 7(12), 178. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace7120178

Hobbs, A., Williamson, A., & Van Dongen, H. P. A. (2010). A circadian rhythm in skill-based errors in aviation maintenance. Chronobiology International, 27(6), 1304–1316. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2010.484890

International Civil Aviation Organization. (2016). International Standards and Recommended Practices, Annex 19, Safety Management, Second Edition, July 2016. 999 Robert-Bourassa Boulevard, Montréal, Quebec, Canada H3C 5H7.

International Civil Aviation Organization. (2022). International Civil Aviation Organization Safety Report 2022. Montréal, Canada. ICAO. 999 Robert-Bourassa Boulevard Montréal, Quebec, Canada.

International Civil Aviation Organization. (2018). Safety Management Manual, Doc 9859 (4th ed.). ICAO. 999 Robert-Bourassa Boulevard, Montréal, Quebec, Canada H3C 5H7.

Insley, J., & Turkoglu, C. (2020). A contemporary analysis of aircraft maintenance-related accidents and serious incidents. Aerospace, 7(6), 81. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace7060081

Khan, F. N., Ayiei, A., Murray, J., Baxter, G., & Wild, G. (2020). A preliminary investigation of maintenance contributions to commercial air transport accidents. Aerospace, 7(9), 129. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace7090129

Kourousis, K. I., Chatzi, A. V., & Giannopoulos, I. K. (2018). The airbus A320 family fan cowl door safety modification: A human factors scenario analysis. Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 90(6), 967–972. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-08-2017-0191

Langer, M., & Braithwaite, G. R. (2016). The development and deployment of a maintenance operations safety survey. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 58(7), 986–1006. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018720816656085

Le, H., & Lappas, I. (2016). Continuing airworthiness: Major drivers and challenges in civil and military aviation. Aviation, 19(4), 165–170. https://doi.org/10.3846/16487788.2015.1126909

Ma, J., Pedigo, M., Blackwell, L., Gildea, K., Holcomb, K., Hackworth, C., & Hiles, J. J. (2011). The line operations safety audit program: Transitioning from flight operations to maintenance and ramp operations. Defence Technical Information Center.

Machado, M. C., Gomes Eller Araújo, M. A., Soto Urbina, L. M., & Macau, F. R. (2016). A qualitative study of outsourced aeronautical maintenance: The case of Brazilian organizations. Journal of Air Transport Management, 55, 176–184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2016.04.013

MacLean, L., Richman, A., & Hudak, M. (2018). Failure rates for aging aircraft. Safety, 4(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.3390/safety4010007

Marretta, R. M. A., & Bedson, J. A. D. (2015). Risk assessment of fuel quantity indicator replacement in ATR 72 aircraft. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part O: Journal of Risk and Reliability, 229(6), 587–603. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748006X15595540

Martins, A. P. G. (2016). A review of important cognitive concepts in aviation. Aviation, 20(2), 65–84. https://doi.org/10.3846/16487788.2016.1196559

Nathanael, D., Tsagkas, V., & Marmaras, N. (2016). Trade-offs among factors shaping operators decision-making: The case of aircraft maintenance technicians. Cognition, Technology & Work, 18(4), 807–820. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-016-0393-z

Page, M. J., Moher, D., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … & McKenzie, J. E. (2021). PRISMA 2020 explanation and elaboration: Updated guidance and exemplars for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372(160). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n160

Quinlan, M., Hampson, I., & Gregson, S. (2013). Outsourcing and offshoring aircraft maintenance in the US: Implications for safety. Safety Science, 57, 283–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2013.02.011

Quinlan, M., Hampson, I., & Gregson, S. (2014). Slow to learn: Regulatory oversight of the safety of outsourced aircraft maintenance in the USA. Policy and Practice in Health and Safety, 12(1), 71–90. https://doi.org/10.1080/14774003.2014.11667798

Santos, L. F. F. M., & Melicio, R. (2019). Stress, pressure and fatigue on aircraft maintenance personal. International Review of Aerospace Engineering (IREASE), 12(1), 35. https://doi.org/10.15866/irease.v12i1.14860

Shappell, S., Detwiler, C., Holcomb, K., Hackworth, C., Boquet, A., & Wiegmann, D. A. (2007). Human error and commercial aviation accidents: An analysis using the human factors analysis and classification system. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 49(2), 227–242. https://doi.org/10.1518/001872007X312469

Shukri, S. A., Romli, F. I., Badaruddin, W. T. F. W., & Mahmood, A. S. (2021). Importance of English language in aviation maintenance: A Malaysia case study. Journal of Aeronautics, Astronautics and Aviation, 53(2), 113–119. https://doi.org/10.6125/JoAAA.202106_53(2).02

Signal, T. L., van den Berg, M. J., & Mulrine, H. M. (2019). Personal and work factors that predict fatigue-related errors in aircraft maintenance engineering. Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, 90(10), 860–866. https://doi.org/10.3357/AMHP.5000.2019

Trifonov-Bogdanov, P., Vinogradov, L., & Shestakov, V. (2013). Civil aviation accidents and incidents classified according to groups of aviation specialists. Aviation, 17(2), 76–79. https://doi.org/10.3846/16487788.2013.805861

Tsagkas, V., Nathanael, D., & Marmaras, N. (2014). A pragmatic mapping of factors behind deviating acts in aircraft maintenance. Reliability Engineering & System Safety, 130, 106–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ress.2014.05.011

Ulfvengren, P., & Corrigan, S. (2015). Development and implementation of a safety management system in a lean airline. Cognition, Technology & Work, 17(2), 219–236. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-014-0297-8

Under, I., & Gerede, E. (2021). Silence in aviation: Development and validation of a tool to measure reasons for aircraft maintenance staff not reporting. Organizacija, 54(1), 3–16. https://doi.org/10.2478/orga-2021-0001

Usanmaz, O. (2011). Training of the maintenance personnel to prevent failures in aircraft systems. Engineering Failure Analysis, 18(7), 1683–1688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2011.02.010

Virovac, D., Domitrović, A., & Bazijanac, E. (2017). The influence of human factor in aircraft maintenance. PROMET – Traffic & Transportation, 29(3), 257–266. https://doi.org/10.7307/ptt.v29i3.2068

Wang, P. H., & Zimmermann, N. (2021). Maintenance of composite-based aircraft components and structures through the perspective of aviation maintenance technicians in the United States. Collegiate Aviation Review International, 39(2). https://doi.org/10.22488/okstate.22.100234

Wang, T.-C., & Chuang, L.-H. (2014). Psychological and physiological fatigue variation and fatigue factors in aircraft line maintenance crews. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 44(1), 107–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ergon.2013.11.003

Ward, M., McDonald, N., Morrison, R., Gaynor, D., & Nugent, T. (2010). A performance improvement case study in aircraft maintenance and its implications for hazard identification. Ergonomics, 53(2), 247–267. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140130903194138

Yazgan, E., Ozkan, N. F., & Ulutas, B. H. (2022). A questionnaire-based musculoskeletal disorder assessment for aircraft maintenance technicians. Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 94(2), 240–247. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-03-2021-0076

Yazgan, E., & Yilmaz, A. K. (2018). Prioritisation of factors contributing to human error for airworthiness management strategy with ANP. Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 91(1), 78–93. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-11-2017-0245

Zimmermann, N., & Mendonca, F. A. C. (2021). The impact of human factors and maintenance documentation on aviation safety: An analysis of 15 years of accident data through the PEAR framework. Collegiate Aviation Review International, 39(2). https://doi.org/10.22488/okstate.22.100230