Aviation Research

FAA Could Enhance Its Program to Meet Current and Future Challenges Gao ID: RCED-92-180 June 3, 1992

The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Research, Engineering, and Development Program plays an important role in ensuring the safety, security, and efficiency of the U.S. air transport system. The program's budget has grown over the past few years, from $153 million in fiscal year 1988 to $218 million in fiscal year 1992. Much of the funding increase has occurred in the areas of aircraft safety; security; and human factors, including the interface between controllers and air traffic control systems. This report examines (1) FAA's progress in responding to the Aviation Safety Research Act of 1988, which requires the agency to submit annual plans to Congress and to undertake research on a variety of air safety issues; (2) the long-term research that FAA undertook in fiscal year 1991; and (3) factors that will affect the program's success.

GAO found that FAA: (1) has expanded research in aircraft structures, human factors, and simulation modelling; (2) established a research advisory committee; (3) developed a draft RE&D plan, but did not include detailed cost and staffing estimates for projects; (4) obligated 83 percent of its FY 1991 research funds for short-term projects; (5) classified several short-term projects as long-term and overestimated the funds spent on long-term research; and (6) does not use the Department of Transportation's Departmental Accounting and Financial Information System (DAFIS) to track long-term projects and resources. GAO believes that: (1) FAA will not be able to achieve its ambitious RE&D goals solely through its research and development efforts, and will need to rely on ongoing capital investment, airport development projects, and industry cooperation to achieve all of its goals; and (2) interrelated factors that will affect program success include incorporation of RE&D goals into other FAA program areas, FAA use of research conducted by other federal agencies and private organizations, system engineering and integration considerations, and attention to the role and prevention of human error in accidents.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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