AT 409Capstone Crew Resource Management (CRM)
Tristan Bungen, Aaron Varnau, Treston Russell
Roles and Responsibilities
● Pilot in Command (PIC)
○ Preflight Checklist - completing the checklist with the crew, but challenging and
insuring that every step has been completed with a verbal confirmation
○ UAS Controller Setup, turned on before aircraft, iPad visor attached
○ IPad Setup, logging into measure using your account
○ Flight Monitoring, keeping your focus on the controller/Ipad for the majority of the
flight, entrusting that the VO is watching the aircraft closely
○ Watching flight details such as altitude, route completion, battery / controller battery
percentage, doing call for any useful information that arises
○ Mission Leader - PIC reserves the right to conclude the mission at any time
○ Calling out while taking off and landing, letting the crew know when your switching to
manual flight and/or into autonomous flight
○ Making sure the landing / takeoff site is completely clear of any debris and people,
calling out when props are live and when site needs to be cleared immediately
○ Emergency callouts: Loss of control, loss of camera / sensor function, loss of
connection
○ Taking note of the flights MetaData and the current weather during flight, taking notes
of important flight details
● Pre-Flight Planner, Visual Observer
○ Acquiring correct UAS, Sensors, Batteries, etc. for Flight
○ Charging Batteries after the flight
○ Assisting with the complete Preflight Checklist
○ Observe the drone during the entire flight
○ Call out any other aircraft seen to the pilot with location / direction (vocally/zello)
○ Calling out drone location when needed (vocally/zello)
○ Call out any obstacles or possible hazards to the pilot (vocally/ zello)
○ Emergency Procedures, call out line of sight lost, unusual activity, bird strikes
○ Dual fail safe redundancy checks
○ Taking note of the flights MetaData and the current weather during flight, taking notes
of important flight details
● Data Processor, Sensor Checker
○ Transferring Data From UAS SD Cards
○ Correcting Data
○ Processing Data / Processing PPK Data Through EZ Surv
○ Placing Flight Data Into Folders Using Proper File Structure
○ Completing PPK and Sony A6000 Checklist and Sensor Check
○ Assist acquiring UAS and supplies needed for a flight
○ Assisting with the packing/unpacking UAS checklist
○ Completing the Data Transfer Checklist Correctly
○ Assist returning the UAS to the lab / charging batteries IF NEEDED
○ Taking note of the flights MetaData and the current weather during flight, taking notes
of important flight details
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
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment