Managing the Risks Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operations Pose to People and Property on the Ground

Area of Science:

• Aviation Safety
• Risk Management
• Aerospace Engineering

Background:

• Global efforts are underway to establish airworthiness regulations for remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS).
• Current risk models for RPAS operations struggle to integrate diverse technical and operational safety controls.
• Regulations require a robust foundation in safety risk management and traceability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel approach for modeling and evaluating risks associated with RPAS operations, particularly near populated areas.
• To introduce the barrier bow tie (BBT) model as a framework for structuring RPAS risk management.
• To provide a basis for determining airworthiness certification requirements for RPAS.

Main Methods:

• Development and application of the barrier bow tie (BBT) model for RPAS risk analysis.
• Focusing risk assessment on devices, people, and processes that mitigate hazards.
• Illustrating the framework with a case study of a rotary-wing RPAS in two operational scenarios.

Main Results:

• The BBT model effectively structures the risk management problem for RPAS operations.
• The model facilitates the incorporation of various risk controls into analysis and decision-making.
• Foundations for both quantitative and qualitative risk assessments using the BBT model are established.

Conclusions:

• The barrier bow tie (BBT) model offers a viable framework for evaluating RPAS operational risks.
• This approach supports the development of traceable and risk-based airworthiness regulations.
• The BBT model is applicable to diverse RPAS operations and can inform certification standards.