Selection Strategy for Identification of Process Measures for Surveillance in Aviation

Inspection and maintenance errors that occur in aircraft maintenance systems have a formidable impact on the safety and reliability of air transportation. Evaluation of the aircraft maintenance system requires an analysis of the maintenance processes in use. The systematic evaluation of data collected on the aviation maintenance process can provide management with feedback on the performance of the airline and consequently provide proactive support of the decision-making process prior to the dispatch of the aircraft. Recognizing that surveillance, auditing and airworthiness directives form a significant portion of the quality assurance function of an airline, it is critical that data be collected on these processes. Significant efforts have been made to investigate and track inspection and maintenance errors. Although valuable in terms of their contributions to the identification of the performanceshaping factors that lead to maintenance errors, these efforts have tended to be reactive in nature. Surveillance has a more practical bearing on the maintenance of aircraft. Process measures for surveillance was identified by the research team based on human-factor principles, utility of data being captured, and working around mental models of quality assurance personnel. This research establishes the identification strategy the research team adopted to finalize the process measures for surveillance.