Analysis of Air Transport Accidents Resulting from Security Related Incidences - Report Example

Analysis of Air Transport Accidents Resulting from Security Related Incidences. By Ali Basfar Professor John Lamothe COM-221 HYB Date 11/15/14 Table of Contents List of figures 2 Abstract 3 2.0: Methodology 4 2.1: Primary sources 5 2.2: Secondary sources 5 2.3: Limitation of the method 6 1: Role of NTSB 7 4.0: Analysis 9 5.0: Conclusion 11 6.0: References 15 Appendix 1: Structured questionnaire for the survey 16 List of figures Figure 1: Root causes of plane accidents………………………………………………………… 6 Figure 2: Air traffic growth since 1970………………………………………………………….. 7 Figure 3: Evolution of the number of accidents and fatalities…………………………………… 8 Figure 4: Airport access………………………………………………………………………….. 9 Figure 5: Causes of aviation accidents over the past decade………………………………..….. 10 Table Table 1: Causes of aviation accidents……………………………………………………………. 9 Abstract Air transport involves many levels of operations that entail interpreted tasks, and an accident may occur from a combination of vast number of factors. In the United States of America, it is estimated that over 90% of fatal accidents relate to factors other than aircraft. These causes include pilot error, terrorism related activities and accidents attributed to weather. This report examines the combination of these variables in causing accidents. Pilot error in this case excludes mechanical failure and biomedical factors. To ensure efficiency, reliability and bias reduction, this analytical report relied on primary and secondary research to determine the causes of aviation accidents and preventive measures that have been taken. A survey questionnaire (with both open and closed questions) was used to gather the primary information from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Transport Security Administration (TSA) accident expert. The study involved 30 officials from these two organizations, but only 23 did participate and emailed back their filled in questionnaires. The study targeted only members of these organizations because they are directly involved in handling airline incidents warranting clear and reliable information provision. The results obtained showed that there is a declining trend in the causes of accidents. Secondary and primary sources were used to reduce or eliminated biasness. Secondary information was acquired from online sources that basically report aviation related accidents. From the primary sources and secondary sources, it was established that there is growing concern on security issues related to terrorism and hence, measures have been put in place to ensure enhanced security checks for passengers and customers entering airports. The study found that, security checks have contributed to the increased air traffic and subsequent reduction in security related incidences after September 11th 2001 attacks in the US. 1.0: Introduction An aviation accident is an occurrence that happens between the time a person boards an aircraft with an objective to take a flight and the time when an occurrence relating to the operations of the aircraft results in a fatality, an aircraft sustains damage or failure; aircraft disappears and or is completely inaccessible (Stolzer, Halford & Goglia, 2008). Multiple causal factors are attributed to aviation accidents. According to the NTSB (2010), 90% of all fatal accidents in civil aviation in the United States are attributed to factors that do not relate to the aircraft. An increasing proportion of aviation accidents are associated with failure arising from the personnel manning the aircraft. This is normally referred to as the pilot error. In the United States, this has been identified as the commonest source of accidents for a long time. Pilot error is only limited to, the failure of the pilot to fly the aircraft appropriately, but does not include aviation accidents that are attributable to the weather, biomedical factors or mechanical failure. However, over the last decade, aviation accidents have also been attributed to issues relating to international security, such as terror attacks like hijacking of passengers or cargo planes. According to Darr, Ricks and Lemos (2010), terrorism acts have become a major contributor to tensions in international society and have mainly been targeting the aviation industry. Terrorist target planes as was the case during the September 11, 2001 attacks in the U.S. Other accidents that relate to security include war related such as the Ukraine plane crash, August 30th, 2014, that was attributed to disagreements between rebel groups in Ukraine. The purpose of this report is to investigate the causes of aviation accidents and the measures that have been taken by the authority to prevent the accidents. The target audiences for the report include the airlines using various airports in the United States of America and the security agents that are tasked with the security of the airports. Even though there are multiple causes of aviation accidents, this report will concentrate on terror related causes of accidents in the United States of America. Accidents related to war as was experienced in the recent Ukraine plane crash; are out of the scope of the analysis, though mentioned, in the report the Ukraine incidence just points to security issues but does not form the basis of this analysis. The analysis main emphasis will be geared at finding out measures that have been taken by airport authorities and boards that deal with air transport, safety and security. 2.0: Methodology The main aim of the report is to find out factors contributing to air transport incidents and accidents that relate to security in the aviation industry. The research questions to guide this analysis include: what are common causes of aviation accidents, how the trends of aviation accidents are and finally what has been the major concern in relation to air transport. These questions will help guide the analysis and will provide a comparative basis for analyzing security related incidences. The Aviation industry in the United States and in other countries greatly relies on the reporting systems from controllers, pilots and other professional bodies tasked with the safety of aviation. This analytical report on accidents in aviation relies on both primary and secondary research data. Primary sources included a survey in which the target population was accident experts from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Transport Security Administration (TSA) while secondary sources included published reports on aviation accidents. 2.1: Primary sources In the United States of America, civil aviation incidents and accidents are investigated by the NTSB (Stolzer, Halford, & Goglia, 2008). The NTSB collaborates with other security agents in its investigation to determine possible factors that caused an incident. The NTSB is not limited to domestic incidents, in collaboration with other investigative authorities; it is involved in investigating overseas accidents of interest to the American security (NTSB, 2010). Also, the TSA in conjunction with airlines offering travel services using Airports in the USA conducts security checks. In my thought of gathering primary information I emailed 30 survey questionnaires to the NTSB and TSA officials. The questionnaire included both open and closed interview questions (see appendix 1). The questions were vital to my report as the analysis would assist in drawing conclusions in line with this report’s objective. The questionnaires were to gather pertinent information concerning the causes of accidents and measures taken to reduce accidents related to the security lapses within the airlines. Through the survey, I was able to gather technical details that relate to causes of aviation accidents and measures that have been put in place to make aviation transportation safer. 2.2: Secondary sources Secondary sources of information used for this analytical report, included articles on the causes of aviation accidents retrieved from the internet. The internet sources included information obtained from websites of the NTSB, TSA and other websites providing expert opinions on the causes of accidents. The internet was also used to access statistics on the causes of accidents in the air transport portfolio. In addition to the internet sources, the research also relied on reviewed journal articles that have been published and posted online. This ensured that the information provided is based on evidence and only limited to professional bodies tasked with the air transport safety and security. 2.3: Justification of the methodology The use of both primary and secondary sources ensured that, the sources of information provided rich expertise, information that is the core of the analysis of the cause of accidents in the United State of America and provided important trends in accidents over a given period of time. Use of questionnaires ensured that the survey collected only relevant expert opinions on aviation accidents. The information gathered through the questionnaires can be used objectively to analyze and draw conclusions. The sources of information also provided the circumstances under which accidents occur and professional findings that have been established as the main causes. Structured questionnaires used during survey ensured that information collected is objective and reliable as it is specific which reduces possible respondent bias (Dawson, 2009). 2.3: Limitation of the method The NTSB is mandated by the US to carry out investigation in collaboration with other security agents while the TSA deals with security checks at airport. Due to security considerations, the NTSB and the TSA may not be willing to reveal in-depth information on security related causes of aviation accidents and security measures taken to avoid such causes (NTSB, 2010). 3.0: Literature Review & Facts In a research to determine the causes of aviation accidents, Reasons (2005) found that aviation accidents stem from a combination of factors that are not always predictable. These factors range from organizational, security and human factors which interplay within a complex system. In explaining the causes of accidents, Reasons used organizational accident model. In the model, Reasons (2005), points to various events that can lead to accidents and explains them in relation to occurrence of failure or absence of safeguards or defenses in the system to prevent the accidents. The model points to latent conditions that relate to the different factors within the system (Reasons, 2005). In acknowledging the complex system within which accidents in aviation occur, Reasons does not provide detailed information on the emerging trend of terrorism in the global arena and the role the organization play in putting up measures to secure air transport. The argument as presented in the organizational model also fails to give quantifiable measures that have been taken to prevent the occurrence of accidents. In an investigation carried out by NTSB (2010) to determine the root causes of accidents in the aviation industry in the United States of America, the NTSB found that, causes of plane accidents are varied. The investigation established that accidents relating to weather, mechanical and human error have been on the decrease. NTSB (2010) attributed the declining trend to technological improvements that have been shaping the air transport. Despite of the declining trend, NTSB (2010) has raised concerns that security concerns have been on the increase since September 11th, 2001 attacks. Despite of these concerns, NTSB failed to categorize the security concerns in relation to security concerns that relate to terrorism and war related security concerns. The chart below (figure 1) is an illustration of causes of plane accidents. Figure 1: Root causes of plane accidents 1: Role of NTSB The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent federal accident investigation agency whose mission is to determine the cause of all aviation accidents in the US. Its mandate expands to include accidents that relate to aircrafts that are not U.S owned but manufactured in the US. In conjunction with security agents, it investigates the causes of accidents and formulates safety recommendations to improve the air transport. In addition, the NTSB maintains statistics on aviation accidents and conducts evaluation on effectiveness of government agencies that are tasked with transportation safety (NTSB, 2010). In his findings Brown (2006) asserts that, the trends of air traffic since 1970 has been expanding exponentially. After the September 11th 2001 attack, air traffic started to drop. Brown attributed the drop to financial difficulties experienced by many airlines in aligning to security measures. The analysis failed to point to the specific measures taken by airlines in enhancing the security in the airlines and how the measures have contributed to safe and secure air transport. However, two years after the September 11th, 2001 attacks, the air traffic picked again. An investigation by Source1001crash.com (2014), which was aimed at identifying the trends of air traffic and factors behind the trends, attributed the increasing air traffic after September 11th, 2001 attacks to measures that have been taken by the airlines and the airport authorities to prevent terrorists from accessing the airports. Figure 2 is a statistical representation of the air traffic since 1970 to 2008 Figure 2: Air traffic growth since 1970 Source: 1001crash.com. 2014 In a study carried out by Milbourn (2013) to find out measures that have been taken by the airlines and the airport authorities in endeavor to reduce security related accidents, it was found that, the airlines in conjunction with the USA government security agents have heightened airport checks. Some of measures employed include passenger checks before entering airports and screening of luggage to check for explosives. This study was motivated by 1001crash.com findings which indicated that, since 1983 there are many cases of hijackings and bombings that have been reported in United States of America (see figure 3 below). Figure 3: Evolution of the number of accidents and fatalities Source: 1001crash.com. 2014 Due to the increased security concerns and related fatalities after the September 11th, 2001, airlines using the U.S airports have to go through thorough security checks. In an endeavor to secure security of the airports, Milbourn (2013) noted that, the TSA carries security checks for passengers even before they arrive at the airports. Measures taken by the TSA and other security agents have played a great role in curbing the number of terrorism activities targeting aircrafts (Milbourn, 2013). In the survey, officials from the NTSB and the TSA did point to terrorism as a major threat to the air travel. To avoid incidents related to security issues that result to fatalities, an investigation by Leveson (2002) established that, most airports have put in place access control mechanisms which are used to screen people who have access to airports and those boarding airplanes. The airports have been designed in a manner that ensures that, there are arrangements for security checks at every point to avoid hijackers from finding their way to the airports. The security checks are not limited to the passengers only, but also to the cargo. The security checks are carried through computerized systems that identify the passengers while the cargo is passed through X-ray machines to ascertain the nature of the cargo and avoid explosives into the airports (VOA News, 2013). It is after security checks that travelers are given a go ahead to board planes. Figure 4 is a representation of security checks that have been put in place in most airports to ensure that there are no security lapses in the airports. Figure 4: Airport access Source: CoreStreet Ltd, 2005. 4.0: Analysis The 30 emailed questionnaires were divided into two, 15 emailed to NTSB officials and 15 to TSA officials. Of the 30 emailed questionnaires, 23 questionnaires were satisfactorily answered and emailed back, which represented 76.6% response rate. Of these questionnaires, 14 were from the NTSB while 9 were from the TSA. Findings from the TSA and the NTSB officials’ survey pointed that, there are multiple factors that lead to aviation accidents. The findings did indicate that, due to technological development in the aviation industry and the measures put in place to enhance the air travel safety, aviation accidents due to pilot error and mechanical failure have been on the decrease. There have also been significant decreases in security related incidences since 2001. In 2005 and 2006 accidents relating to terrorism acts were reported as indicated in figure 3. Despite of the decrease in security related accidents and incidents, Tyson and Grabianowski (2013) noted that, the terrorist has remained to be a major worry for airlines across the globe. From the survey analysis, security related incidences accounted for only 4%. Even though this is a relative small percentage compared to other causal factors that had higher percentages as illustrated in table 1 and tabulated in figure 5 below, the NTSB and the TSA officials noted that, fatalities that can occur due to security lapses are very high and such fatalities can be avoided by taking appropriate security measures, hence the emphasis on security measures. Table 1: Causes of aviation accidents Cause of accident Percentage Weather 6 Crew error 18 Mechanical 11 Security 4 Others 61 Figure 5: Causes of aviation accidents over the past decade From the graph (figure 5) above, security related causes are very low. However, from the survey, it was pointed that fatalities resulting from terrorism are very high and can be avoided by incorporation of appropriate measures in the airports. For instance, the September 11, 2001 attacks at the Trade Centre resulted in major fatalities. According to Leveson (2002), such fatalities could have been avoided if measures had been put in place to ensure secure access to the airports and the identification of passengers boarding planes. From the primary data, it was established that currently, the TSA in conjunction with other security agencies have set up a mechanism that ensure security checks are carried out before boarding planes. Data obtained from the TSA officials and those from the NTSB security experts identified access control systems, biometric technology, x-ray scanning of luggage and computerized systems to monitor movements in the airports as some of the means that have been incorporated to ensure security of air travelers. The declining trends in security related incidents and zero incidents in 2005 and 2006 can be attributed to the measures taken by the airlines. The secondary data on the causes of accidents supports the primary source findings that, there have been considerable declines in security related causes of aviation accidents. According to CoreStreet Ltd (2005), designs control systems and design arrangements in the airports that have been put in place have played a key role in ensuring that security checks are given uttermost importance in all airports in the USA. For instance, pre-check programs are given uttermost importance to avoid security lapses that may result in accidents caused by terrorist hijacking as illustrated in figure 4. The pre-processes have been designed such that they ensure efficiency, time conscious and ensure that important checks are carried to ascertain people who enter the airports (Milbourn, 2013). From both the primary and secondary source, there was general agreement that measures put in place have contributed in minimizing airport security related incidences. Therefore, generalizations can be drawn that, security measures put in place by the TSA have contributed to decreasing incidences of terrorist acts in the airports and the airlines in the United States of America. Despite of these findings, there is a need for the TSA and other security agents dealing with security checks to streamline the processes in order to increase efficiency and avoid instances that cause delays. 5.0: Conclusion The air transport plays a very important role in the contemporary global economy. In the U.S, the air transport is used by many people and accounts for substantial cargo movement. It is estimated that, there are over 70 million traffic annually using airports in the USA. The air travel, traffic has been on the increase since 1970; however, following the September 11th, 2001 attacks, the traffic reduced, but increased again after two years. The increasing acts of terrorism pose great danger to the air travel and concerns have increased on the safety of airspaces following the August 30th, 2014 Ukraine plane brought down due to war disagreements. This report has identified the causes of aviation accidents and further analyzed security concerns and measures that have been laid down to avoid aviation accidents caused by security issues. The major causes of aviation accidents are weather, crew error, mechanical and security. However, there have been a noticeable trend in reduction of the causes of aviation accidents, but concerns still remain high in relation to security threats. The reduction in accidents due to factors other than security is attributable to technological developments. A survey conducted found that, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Transport Security Administration (TSA) have been working in collaboration with the relevant security agents in USA to ensure that terrorists do not access the airports by incorporating security checks at strategic points both inside and outside the airports and, hence, the marked reduction in security incidents since 2001. It is thus clear that, the air transport has become safer since the September 11th, 2001 attacks that brought into limelight the danger facing the air transport. This led to employing stringent measures to avoid a similar occurrence. The findings from this report point to the importance of enhancing security in the airports and the need to strengthen measures that have already been put in place in order to achieve secure air transport. Analytical Report (Problem Analysis) Evaluation Rubric Excellent Adequate Inadequate Organization & Formatting Very effective sequencing of ideas. Smooth, effective transitions between all elements (ideas, paragraphs, sentences). Rhetorically sound headings. Document is formatted in a way that makes it easy to access for the audience. Reasonable sequencing of ideas. Smooth, effective transitions between most elements (ideas, paragraphs, sentences). Most headings are rhetorically sound. There may be some choppiness in flow, but it’s minimal and doesn’t effect comprehension. Document generally is formatted with the audience in mind, but there are areas in paragraphs, lists, headings, etc. that could have been more accessible and skimable. A lack of effective sequencing and/or transitions and/or headings.  A lack of organization that ultimately obscures or distorts the main point. Formatting is weak and doesn’t take the audience into account. Data Analysis & Interpretation Excellent data analysis and interpretation of results. The topic is covered fully from a variety of angles. The report appears unbiased and professional. Apt and unambiguous analysis/conclusions that add something new to the topic debate (new data, new perspective, new approach, etc.) Good analysis of data & interpretations. The major areas of the topic are covered effectively. There may be some obvious gaps in the analysis, but those gaps don’t hinder the report’s credibility greatly. Some interpretations lack depth/sophistication in interpretation of results and/or conclusions. Weak analysis or interpretation of data. The report may appear very one-sided with an underlying agenda that hinders a complete analysis. There may be major gaps in the analysis that hurt the report’s credibility. It may be a summary of sources instead of an analysis. Grammatical/ Structural Writing Competences Well written in all respects with a minimum number of errors in grammar, usage, punctuation, structure, style, and spelling. Basic grammar and sentence/paragraph structure are adequate, but some errors in usage, punctuation, style or spelling are present. Frequent inadequacies in one or more of the basic competencies impedes understanding of the text. Lit Review & Incorporation of Primary and Secondary Sources Excellent lit review. Documents clearly demonstrates significant research efforts and cover the topic in detail.   Sources skillfully introduced and are essential in service of student’s original ideas. Adequate lit review. Document uses a variety of sources and addresses major questions for the topic. Most sources have appropriate introduction and are used in service of student’s original ideas; however, there may be some key sources missing or not developed adequately. Missing or inadequate lit review. The research may be ineffective for addressing the topic appropriately and doesn’t demonstrate significant effort in researching process. Lacking either primary or secondary sources. Sources not adequately identified. Source material may be cut and pasted, without obvious relevance to the author’s ideas. Report makes claims that it doesn’t support with sources. Tables, Figures, and/or visuals Tables and figures greatly enhance the report.   They are well constructed  and formatted Tables and figures generally enhance the report. They are typically of adequate size, appropriately referenced in the text, and formatted correctly Tables and figures not adequately connected to the report. No or improperly prepared/formatted tables or figures (information too small, not adequately referenced from text, not self-explanatory, too complex, error bars omitted) APA Style Documentation Appropriately formatted Reference page. All in-text citations are present and correct Reference page in end matter but has some errors in format. In-text citations are present with only minor errors No Reference page in end matter or reference page that is formatted incorrectly. In-text citations are absent or incorrectly formatted. 6.0: References Brown, A.S. (2006). Airport security: Still fighting the last war. Homeland Response, Electronic Journal. Retrieved November 13, 2014 from www.homelandresponse.org CoreStreet Ltd. (2005). Manageable Secure Physical Access. Retrieved November 13, 2014 from http://www.corestreet.com/whitepapers/w03-03v4-manageable_ secure_phys_access.pdf Darr, S., Ricks, W., & Lemos, K. A. (2010). Safer systems: A nextgen aviation safety strategic goal. Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine, IEEE, 25(6), 9-14. Dawson, C. (2009). Introduction to Research Methods. Begbroke, UK: How to Content Ltd. Leveson, N.G. (2002). New Approach to Safety Engineering. Massachusetts: Institute of technology. Milbourn, M.A. (2013). Customers to Fly through Security. The Orange County Register. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). (2010). NTSB Safety Report NTSB/SR-01/01: Annual Review of Aircraft Accident Data. Retrieved November 13, 2014 from http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2009/ARG0401.pdf Reason, J. (2005). Safety in operating theatre: human error and organisation failure. Quality safety Health Care, 14 (1), pp.56-60. Stolzer, A. J., Halford, C. D., and Goglia, J. J. (2008). Safety Management Systems in Aviation. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Tyson, J. and Grabianowski, E. (2013). How Airport Security Works. Retrieved November 13, 2014 from http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/airport-security.html. VOA News. (2013). US expanding airport security checks. Report. Retrieved November 1, 2013 from http://www.voanews.com/content/report-us-expanding-airport-security-checks/1774696.html 1001crash.com. (2014). Airplane Accident Statistics-Crashes Causes and Aeronautical Terrorism. Retrieved 15 November 2014, from http://www.1001crash.com/index-page-statistique-lg-2-numpage-4.html 7.0: Appendices Appendix 1: Structured questionnaire for the survey 1. In your experience what do you say of aviation accidents in the United States? 2. How has been the trend of accidents for the last 2 decades? 3. Is it easy to point to specific causes of accident in the aviation industry (yes/No) give reasons for your answer 4. How have the following possible causal factors contributed to air accidents in the last decade? (a) Pilot error (b) Weather (c) Security (Hijacking/bombings) (d) Mechanical (e) Others (list and explain) 5. Due to the increasing acts of terrorists targeting air transport, what measures have you taken to ensure that accidents related to hijacking are minimized. 6. In order to secure airports, what measures have you taken and is there data to show insecurity incidences that have been prevented due to the erasures? 7. In relation to security issues, which other bodies do you work with to ensure security of passengers and avoid incidences related to security lapses. 8. There are many technological developments over the years in the airports, is there any technology that you have put in place in collaboration with other security agents to identify terrorists. 9. Following the Ukraine plane crash August 30th, 2014, does the NTSB have any role to play in security of airspaces and if yes do you collaborate with other governments? Read More