Task Analysis of General Aviation Inspection Activities: Methodology and Findings

Abstract

General Aviation (GA) constitutes a significant, but often ignored, portion of the aviation system. It is crucial that GA be reliable if we are to ensure the safety of the overall air transportation system. The inspection/maintenance system, which is responsible for identifying and fixing defects, is a key component of this system. For this reason, it is critical to have a sound inspection and maintenance system. In response to this need, this paper reports task analyses of aircraft inspection operations at geographically dispersed GA facilities operated under the Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 91, 135, and 145. Recommendations forthcoming from this analysis will be used to devise intervention strategies to improve inspection performance. As a first, this paper outlines the methodology used and the preliminary results obtained.

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