First Draft of Crew 3 Crew Resource Management

AT 409

Capstone Crew Resource Management (CRM)

Tristan Bungen, Aaron Varnau, Treston Russell

Roles and Responsibilities

● Aaron Varnau: Pilot in Command (PIC)

○ Preflight Checklist

○ UAS Controller

○ Flight Monitoring

○ Mission Leader

● Treston Russell: Pre-Flight Planner, Observer

○ Packing for the field

○ Charging Batteries

○ Preflight Checklist

○ Observing

○ Planning Drone Routes

○ Emergency Procedures

○ Dual fail safe redundancy checks

● Tristan Bungen: Data Processing

○ Transferring Data

○ Correcting Data

○ Processing Data

○ Data Placement / File Structure

○ Mapping / Project Lead

Checklists

M600 Checklist provided in Brightspace:

Bramor checklist provided in Brightspace:

Communication

Communication between the VO and pilot or PIC will be either in-person or through the Zello

communication app. The aircraft’s location will be described using its position on the predetermined

flight path and its position relative to landmarks or crew members if need be. Heading will be

communicated based on either a compass heading or relative to crew members if it would be more

clear. Altitude will be described relative to its ideal or preset altitude for small changes during flight, or

larger approximations possibly relative to the ground if significant deviations occur. The height of

surrounding landmarks may be used for more specific communication. Other midflight

communications will be delivered as needed, such as the position of potential threats to the aircraft

relative to the aircraft or crew, or deviations in heading.

The crew will keep communications specific and brief so that more can be said in less time.

This will be modeled after ATC communication in that all communications are straight to the point.

Checklist communications will be an example of this model as the crew will read specific lines and

verbally confirm/check/etc. with each other on that line’s status. As a safety process, challenging the

decisions of the PIC or other crew will be encouraged if someone believes a decision is risky or

incorrect. Collaboration and clarity will be key to the success of the team.

● Emergency procedures should also be provided:

○ What to do if GPS is lost?

○ Line of sight lost?

○ Loss of control.

○ Approach of manned aircraft.

○ Bird Strike

Emergency Procedures

Emergency procedures allow the flight crew to respond effectively to emergency situations.

Even though the airframes used in AT 409 have their own fail safes for the majority of in-flight failures,

procedures to mitigate human error are always a necessity. This CRM includes fail safes and

emergency procedures for the flight crew to determine the correct course of action. All of the following

emergency procedures must be followed by the PIC and VO(s) for the best chance to mitigate further

damage or injury.

A frequent problem missions face is loss of GPS signal . If the airframe is capable, the flight

crew will switch the control from autonomous to manual until the signal reconnects. If the airframe is

not within visual line of sight, then the flight crew will use the attached camera as a visual reference.

This emergency procedure is a last resort because some airframes do not allow much pilot

interaction, and allows more room for human error.

Visual line of sight and airframe situational awareness are important to mitigate emergency

situations. When line of sight of the UAV is lost, the first course of action for the flight crew is a

constant form of communication. Communication is key for respotting the airframe, and especially

without situational awareness. If none of the flight crew can spot the aircraft, then the mission should

be paused and returned to home. If the UAV is not capable of returning, and cannot be spotted, then

the aircraft must end the flight. This can be done by landing the aircraft or deploying a parachute.

Even with experienced pilots who are certified in operation of an airframe, it is possible to

lose control of the aircraft . If the PIC loses control of the aircraft, then the mission needs to be

paused and the aircraft should be grounded. The mission can be continued when the flight crew

decides the aircraft is capable for operation and the crew is ready.

Even though the flight area should be already designated as a UAS operation with elevation,

along with other metadata, if a manned aircraft enters the flight crew’s operation airspace the

airframe should be grounded and the operation should continue when the airspace clears. ATC

should be notified and reminded that there is a UAS operation in that airspace.

Bird strikes are a way to cause major damage to the aircraft during operation. If there is a

bird strike during operation, the flight crew must ground the aircraft as soon as possible to assess the

damages. A formal inspection of the aircraft’s fuselage, motor, wings and sensors should be

conducted. This inspection can be done on site or in the lab, it is recommended the crew return the

aircraft to the lab for a thorough inspection. If it is determined the airframe is still operational on site,

and an instructor is present and approves, the mission can resume. If an instructor is not present,

then the mission should be terminated and the airframe returned to the lab.