Failure analysis validation and visualization

A method of integrating failure data for different failure analysis layouts, the method comprising:

• receiving failure analysis data for an aircraft including a plurality of systems, wherein the failure data is received from a failing aircraft equipped with one or more sensors or embedded systems configured to transmit a signal in the event it or one of its systems experiences a failure, the failure analysis data including failure data identifying a failure of one or more of the plurality of systems that are thereby one or more failed systems, the failure analysis data further including design data describing the aircraft and possible failures of at least some of its systems, the design data including one or more schematic diagrams describing physical relationships between the aircraft and its systems, the aircraft being dividable into a plurality of physically-distinct zones;
• validating the failure analysis data to thereby integrate the failure data for a plurality of different failure analysis layouts, validating the failure analysis data including performing one or more consistency checks between the failure data and the design data;
• performing, for failure analyses including at least a rotorburst analysis, a location consistency check of the failure of one or more of the plurality of systems within a particular zone that may have a cascading effect related to a number of systems in the same zone, to check if a number of the failed systems are physically located in the same zone;
• and
• selectively generating at least one of the plurality of different layouts of the failure analysis data including at least a layout according to a flight deck layout model that includes a graphical representation of a flight deck illustrated by schematic representations reflecting system controls that is displayable in a display, the flight deck and system controls being schematically represented in a manner that reflects placement of the system controls visible to crew in the flight deck, the layout graphically identifying one or more failed systems directly on their respective schematic representations reflecting system controls, the one or more failed systems including a failed system directly affected by an originating failure, and/or any lower-ordered failed systems indirectly affected by the originating failure, and the layout textually, graphically or otherwise highlight the respective schematic representations in a manner that reflects additional failure data including functional states of the one or more failed systems.

A computer-readable storage medium that is non-transitory and has computer-readable program code portions stored therein that, in response to execution by a processor, cause an apparatus to at least:

• receive and validate failure analysis data for an aircraft including a plurality of systems, wherein the failure data is received from a failing aircraft equipped with one or more sensors or embedded systems configured to transmit a signal in the event it or one of its systems experiences a failure,
• wherein the failure analysis data includes failure data and design data, the failure data identifying a failure of one or more of the plurality of systems that are thereby one or more failed systems, and the design data describing the aircraft and possible failures of at least some of its systems, the design data including one or more schematic diagrams describing physical relationships between the aircraft and its systems, the aircraft being dividable into a plurality of physically-distinct zones,
• wherein the apparatus being caused to validate the failure analysis data includes being caused to perform one or more consistency checks between the failure data and the design data to thereby integrate the failure data for a plurality of different failure analysis layouts, and
• wherein the apparatus is caused to perform, for failure analyses including at least a rotorburst analysis, a location consistency check of the failure of one or more of the plurality of systems within a particular zone that may have a cascading effect related to a number of systems in the same zone, to check if a number of the failed systems are physically located in the same zone;
• and
• selectively generate at least one of the plurality of different layouts of the failure analysis data including at least a layout according to a flight deck layout model that includes a graphical representation of a flight deck illustrated by schematic representations reflecting system controls that is displayable in a display, the flight deck and system controls being schematically represented in a manner that reflects placement of the system controls visible to crew in the flight deck, the layout graphically identifying one or more failed systems directly on their respective schematic representations reflecting system controls, the one or more failed systems including a failed system directly affected by an originating failure, and/or any lower-ordered failed systems indirectly affected by the originating failure, and the layout textually, graphically or otherwise highlight the respective schematic representations in a manner that reflects additional failure data including functional states of the one or more failed systems.