Managing aviation safety through information technology

Aircraft airworthiness management can now take place for the commercial aircarrier fleet as a result of the FAA certification of intact aircraft nondestructive inspection (NDI) and information technologies systems which were originally developed for the Air Force. The merit of aircraft airworthiness management has proven extremely successful for the government fleet for more than a decade. The inspection and information management technologies are particularly effective for rapid fault detection and fault assessment when hidden structural corrosion, hidden structural cracks, internal engine blade cracks, or composite disbonding occurs. In the future, advanced NDI will be the only means of finding faults when advanced or designer materials are used. Analogously, the process can be likened to a doctor's administration of an MRI (and other tests) to each of his patients and then following through with long-term health management plans for the entire patient group.