Automated Flight Log and Squawk List Generation for Aircraft Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern aircraft face challenges in detecting abnormal sub-system operations during flight and diagnosing the specific source of performance degradation, which can persist after landing, making it difficult to take corrective actions before faults or failures occur.
Innovation Solution
An automated system that generates a flight log and squawk list file using an onboard computer to record and review flight data, allowing for the identification of abnormal conditions and their sources, enabling automatic documentation and corrective actions without crew intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual monitoring and documentation of aircraft sub-system operations is performed, then crew members can detect abnormal conditions, but pilot workload increases and detection timeliness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by automatically monitoring aircraft sub-system operations, detecting abnormal conditions, and generating documentation without requiring crew intervention. The automated health monitoring system continuously tracks sub-system performance, identifies deviations from normal operation, and produces flight logs and squawk lists autonomously, freeing pilots from manual monitoring tasks while maintaining reliable detection of abnormal conditions.
2Productivity
If automated monitoring systems are implemented, then detection speed and accuracy improve, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves multi-functionality by integrating multiple capabilities into a single automated platform: continuous health monitoring of aircraft sub-systems, real-time detection of abnormal conditions, automatic generation of flight logs, creation of squawk lists, and maintenance documentation. This universal system performs diverse functions that would otherwise require separate tools and procedures, improving detection speed while managing complexity through consolidation rather than proliferation of separate systems.
3Loss of information
If detailed documentation of all flight events is maintained manually, then complete records are available, but time consumption and crew burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the mechanical process of manual documentation with automated electronic recording and processing. Sensors and onboard systems continuously capture flight data, sub-system performance metrics, and operational events, automatically storing this information in structured digital formats. The system generates comprehensive flight logs and squawk lists without manual intervention, preserving complete flight records while eliminating the time-consuming manual transcription and documentation processes that previously burdened crew members.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and computers for aircraft are provided. A system includes a portable device and an on-board computer for an aircraft. The on-board computer is configured to record preliminary squawk events that occur while the aircraft is in flight for potential corrective action. The portable device is configured to communicate with the on-board-computer and is configured for: receiving—from the on-board computer—preliminary squawk events that occur while the aircraft is in flight; presenting the preliminary squawk events; receiving approval inputs that indicate approved squawk events of the preliminary squawk events; and generating a squawk list that includes each of the approved squawk events to be investigated for corrective action after the flight.