Sample Searches
Following are 5 example searches, which can be useful for understanding how successful searches can be formulated. Here are the search examples:
- Example 1: Mechanic-reported maintenance incident reports that reference both MEL and Job Card issues in Airline operations.
- Example 2: Electrical failures for General Aviation aircraft.
- Example 3: Flight Attendant reported incidents involving passenger misconduct where alcohol was a factor, and there was an assault or physical aggression.
- Example 4: Runway Incursion events in air carrier operations for selected major airports where confusion is referenced by the reporter.
- Example 5: Reports submitted by Air Traffic Controllers where communication problems may have contributed to airborne conflicts.
In these examples, begin by navigating to the ASRS Database Online search page and follow the steps below. Note that the report counts provided here will vary as records are added to the ASRS Database.
Search Example 1
A Mechanic for an Airline is assigned to process an MEL issue, but experiences confusion with the associated Job Card and wishes to see if her situation has been experienced by other maintenance personnel. She also wants to more clearly understand some of the issues involved in these incidents. She decides to query the ASRS Database Online for Mechanic-reported maintenance incident reports that reference both MEL and Job Card issues in airline operations.
Step 1: Enter the following values:
Reporter Organization = Air Carrier
Reporter Function = Maintenance, Multi Select [hold shift key down] Inspector, Instructor, Lead Technician, Other / Unknown, Parts / Stores Personnel, Quality Assurance / Audit, Technician, Trainee
Event Type = Deviation - Procedural – MEL
Contributing Factors = Chart or Publication, Human Factors, MEL [3 values]
Result 1: “Your query returned 2356 ACNs”
Remarks: There are more reports in this data set than we want, so we’ll now modify the search strategy.
Step 2: Do not change any of the values for Reporter Organization, Reporter Function, Event Type, or Contributing Factors. Add the following:
Text = job card [or JOB CARD, or Job Card – case is unimportant; make sure both “Narrative” and “Synopsis” are checked.]
Result 2: “Your query returned 214 ACNs”
Remarks: This is a smaller report set, but it may be useful to further restrict the data set by removing 1 search term.
Step 3: Do not change any of previously entered values except the following:
Contributing Factor = Chart or Publication [i.e., remove “Human Factors”]
Result 3: “Your query returned 63 ACNs”
Remarks: This is a more manageable report set, and will likely provide very useful information relating to the mechanic’s areas of interest.
Search Example 2
A General Aviation pilot is working to obtain his Instrument rating. He overhears a conversation about someone flying a light single-engine aircraft in IMC who experienced an electrical failure because of an alternator failure. He decides to look into the issue so that he can understand the potential risks, and to formulate possible intervention strategies. He mentions his interest to his wise flight instructor who suggests querying the ASRS Database Online for electrical failures for General Aviation aircraft.
Step 1: Enter the following values:
Federal Aviation Regulations = Part 91
Event Type = Aircraft Equipment Problem - Critical
Contributing Factors = Aircraft
Text = electrical failure [Make sure both “Narrative” and “Synopsis” are checked.]
Result 1: “Your query returned 260 ACNs”
Remarks: This probably produced some good reports, but the result was not restricted to records where there was an electrical failure and a reference to the aircraft alternator.
Step 2: Do not change any of the values for Federal Aviation Regulations, Event Type, or Contributing Factors, but add the following to the text field:
Text = (electrical failure) AND (alternator) [The “AND” text operator will find records whose Narrative and Synopsis contain both terms. Make sure both “Narrative” and “Synopsis” are checked.]
Result 2: “Your query returned 15 ACNs”
Remarks: The requester now has a very manageable report set – useful for getting a snapshot of representative incidents and possible strategies.
Search Example 3
A flight attendant helps with training courses for cabin crew at his airline. On a recent flight he experienced a problem with what he suspected was an intoxicated passenger. The misbehaving passenger appeared to threaten the cabin crew, and the Flight Attendant felt that the safety of the cabin crew and other passengers could have been at risk. In order to get a better understanding of the issues, the Flight Attendant decides to see if the ASRS Database contains passenger misconduct incidents in which alcohol was a factor and where there was an assault or physical aggression.
Step 1: Enter the following values:
Reporter Organization = Air Carrier
Reporter Function = Flight Attendant, Multi Select Flight Attendant (On Duty), Flight Attendant in Charge, Off Duty, Unspecified
Event Type = Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event, Passenger Misconduct
Text = alcohol [Make sure both “Narrative” and “Synopsis” are checked.]
Result 1: “Your query returned 149 ACNs”
Remarks: A quick review of some of the reports suggested that this was a good data set, but the Flight Attendant decides to add some additional text search terms to see if there are additional relevant records.
Step 2: Do not change any of the values for Reporter Organization, Reporter Function, or Event Type. Add “drunk” and “intoxicated” to “alcohol as additional text search terms:
Text = Alcohol OR Drunk OR Intoxicated [Note: The “OR” operator(s) will surface records that reference any of these terms. Make sure both “Narrative” and “Synopsis” are checked.]
Result 2: “Your query returned 248 ACNs”
Remarks: This is a more representative data set, but our searcher now wants to filter this set to see which records reference an assault or attack.
Step 3: Do not change any of previously entered values, but add “Assault,” Strike,” “Hit,” and “Attack” to the text search string in the following manner:
Text = (Alcohol OR Drunk OR Intoxicated) AND (Assault OR Strike OR Hit OR Attack) [Note: The “AND” operator will require that both sets of terms are required. Make sure both “Narrative” and “Synopsis” are checked.]
Result 3: “Your query returned 18 ACNs”
Remarks: Review of this data set provided useful information for the training courses. The data set was provided to trainees, and then each incident was thoroughly discussed with emphasis on intervention and mitigation strategies.
Search Example 4
A flight manager for an air carrier notes that the number and severity of runway incursions at several major airports his air carrier services appear to be down over the past several years. He feels that the runway safety training his and other airline conduct, and the work of FAA’s Office of Runway Safety has had a positive impact. Reviewing his airline’s training material he decides to update the runway safety training material with more recent ASRS Database examples of runway incursion incidents from the past 4 years.
Step 1: Enter the following values:
Date of Incident = January 2004 – December 2008
Federal Aviation Regs = Part 121
Carrier Location = BOS.Airport, LAX.Airport, ORD.Airport, DFW.Airport, ATL.Airport, IAD.Airport [Note: enter each location identifier separately, then click “Save” when your list is complete.]
Event Type = Ground Incursion, Runway
Result 1: “Your query returned 148 ACNs”
Remarks: This produced a good set of reports, but the flight manager notes that there is a wide spectrum of causal and contributory issues in this data set. He really wants to focus on incidents where confusion or misunderstanding played a role, so he modifies his search strategy.
Step 2: Do not change any of the values for Date of Incident, FAR Part, Location, or Event Type. Add the following text search terms:
Text = Confus% OR Misunder% [Note: The “%” symbol will find all words where the text begins with what was entered, i.e., “Confus%” will find “Confusion,” “Confused,” etc. The “OR” operator will surface records that reference any of these terms. Make sure both “Narrative” and “Synopsis” are checked.]
Result 2: “Your query returned 27 ACNs”
Remarks: This produced just about the report set that the flight manager wanted. He decides to see if there are reports in this set where “Confusion” and related terms appear, but eliminate reports that mention “Complacency.” He modifies his search strategy to further restrict his data set.
Step 3: Do not change any of the values for Date of Incident, FAR Part, Location, or Event Type. Modify the text search string as follows:
Text = (Confus% OR Misunder%) NOT (Complac%) [Note: The “NOT” operator will surface records that reference Confusion or Misunderstanding in the Narrative, but NOT when the text references Complacency. The Parenthesis ( ) are very important to keep search terms and operators properly separated. Make sure both “Narrative” and “Synopsis” are checked.]
Result 3: “Your query returned 26 ACNs”
Remarks: Now the flight manager has an excellent set of representative reports with which to update the airline’s runway safety program.
Search Example 5
A representative for an air traffic controllers organization is assisting FAA managers in developing a white paper that examines Controller-Reported communication issues or problems caused or contributed to loss of separation events in Center airspace. Her offer to research the ASRS Database for relevant information is enthusiastically received by her FAA management associates. She decides to begin by obtaining a snapshot of loss of separation events for a 2 year period.
Step 1: Enter the following values
Date of Incident = January 2006 – December 2008
Reporter Function= Air Traffic Control, Multi Select from Approach – Trainee [for all Controller reported events]
Event Type = Conflict – Airborne Conflict; Conflict - NMAC [2 values]
Result 1: “Your query returned 300 ACNs”
Remarks: This query provided an interesting result, but now the representative wants to examine reports where communication problems or procedures were referenced in the controller’s Narrative.
Step 2: Do not change any of the values for Date of Incident, Reporter Function, Event Type. Add the following text search terms related to communication or problems:
Text = NEAR ((Com%, Pro%)10) [Note: The “NEAR” operator will surface records that reference either of these terms if they appear within 10 words of each other. Make sure both “Narrative” and “Synopsis” are checked.]
Result 2: “Your query returned 22 ACNs”
Remarks: Now the representative has an excellent set of reference reports that the team is able to review and reference in their white paper.
