[1E3] Assessing RPAS safety and reliability: a Canadian system safety analysis framework
S Bhanwala, M Dubrule, Z Samadikhoshkho and M G Lipsett
University of Alberta, Canada
Remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPASs) are proving to be valuable assets for civilian operations ranging from wildland firefighting to agricultural monitoring. Transport Canada, Canada’s regulatory body for aviation, has laid out safety and reliability targets for integrating these aircraft into the Canadian airspace; however, it has left the means of compliance to the manufacturer. This paper provides a summary of the Canadian regulatory environment and the methodology to conduct a system safety analysis for the purpose of assessing the safety and reliability of an aircraft in high-risk operations beyond the visual line of sight. The suggested methodology is a streamlined framework that manufacturers can adopt to identify the reliability targets and conduct a system safety analysis while still meeting high safety standards. A key contribution of this work is the integration of observability as a critical factor in managing risk. By incorporating observability into the design and operational phases of both the aircraft and the ground control station, the proposed framework supports early fault detection in complex operations.
