Faa Research Engineering And Development Issues PDF Download

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information about the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Research, Engineering, and Development (RE&D) Program, focusing on: (1) FAA progress in implementing legislation that requires it to submit annual plans for RE&D projects, expand long-term research efforts in certain critical areas, and establish a research advisory committee; (2) long-term research efforts undertaken during fiscal year (FY) 1991; and (3) factors affecting FAA ability to meet its RE&D goals. 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.