TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Editor: Francis C. Gideon, Jr.
One of the primary considerations that must be on the mind of the aeronautical or astronautical engineer working at the computer or drafting table is the safety of the aircraft or spacecraft being designed. This section is meant to depart from the hard standards and design rules normally employed by the engineer and instead provide a general background on the subject of safety. The topics herein should be kept in mind, and as trade-offs are being made, the engineer should think ahead to how the design will affect flying safety.
Frank H. Snapp
Organizations have safety programs for a number of reasons. Some form of accident-prevention program is usually a regulatory requirement. These requirements may take the form of laws, regulations, and directives that govern the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of aircraft. Many of these were instituted in response to accidents and implement the lessons learned from their investigation.
Accidents usually lead to extremely high costs. First, there is the cost associated with the loss of the aircraft itself. Considering the replacement cost of many of today's air vehicles, loss of one can be considerable to an organization of any size. There is also the cost of loss of life and property damage. Other costs include, but certainly are not limited to, hiring and training of replacement personnel, environmental cleanup, loss of use of equipment, increased wear on remaining equipment, legal fees and litigation, increased insurance...
