Suggested Citation:
Sarigul-Klijn, Nesrin, Ryan Rapetti, Albert Jordan, Israel Lopez, Marti M. Sarigul-Klijn, Pascal Nespeca (2009) Intelligent Flight Trajectory Generation to Maximize Safe Outcome Probability after a Distress Event. Proceedings of AIAA Infotech@Aerospace 2009

A flight trajectory generation approach is developed that maximizes safe outcome probability after a distress event by incorporating an abort airport and model of current aircraft dynamics. Several abort probability models are studied under various constraints which are included in optimizing a probabilistic based objective function. A statistical based initial turn determination algorithm is developed to advise pilots to a reachable best landing site immediately after the distress event and prior to high fidelity flight trajectory generation. A maximum range flight maneuver determined for a perpetual turning attitude aircraft. The three dimensional high fidelity approach considers the probability of an abort when shaping the trajectory to increase overall survivability by minimizing expected flight path length. The performance of the new intelligent flight trajectory determination approach is evaluated using a case study based on a hypothetical in-flight distressed transport aircraft in Northern California. Numerical simulations include variable failure rates to simulate different in-flight distress conditions, and multiple fixes along the path to accommodate realistic trajectories. Results of numerical simulations using this Distressed Aircraft Recovery Technique_Maximum Safe Outcome Probability (DART_MSOP) trajectory generation method show promising results.