Case Analysis: Payne Stewart-Physiology homework paper
In this case analysis, you will review, analyze, and determine the most likely cause of the crash of the airplane that was carrying Payne Stewart and his crew back in 1999. To get started, go to the NTSB Aviation Accident Database (https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/index.aspx) and locate the NTSB report regarding the Payne Stewart crash. Next, based on what you have read and have learned in this module, surmise what was the most likely cause of the mishap. Please provide sound evidence for your conclusion by supporting it with information from the NTSB report and your new found knowledge of altitude physiology.
Case Analysis Guidelines by: Dr. Dave Worrells and Mr. Scott Burgess | ERAU, College of Aeronautics 1
ASCI 357 – SAMPLE Case Analysis
Robust Airline Schedule Planning
I. Summary
The construction of timetables for an airline is composed of aircraft and crew (Dunbar,
Froyland, and Wu, 2012). Crew cost is the biggest controllable expenditure for an airline, and
effective crew assignment is a very important aspect of planning (Gopalakrishnan and Johnson,
2005). Wensveen (2011) defines “airline scheduling as the art of designing system wide flight
patterns that provide optimum public service, in both quantity and quality, consistent with the
financial health of the carrier” (p. 360). An airline’s decision to offer certain flights is
dependent on market demand forecasts, available aircraft operating characteristics, available
work force, regulations, and the behaviour of competing airlines (Bazargan, 2010, p.31).
II. Problem
The problem is that the airline scheduling process in its entirety is very complex (Dunbar,
et al., 2012). Flight scheduling is the starting point for all other airline planning and operations
(Bazargan, 2010, p.31).
III. Significance of the Problem
The significance of the problem is that a vast number of rules and regulations associated
with airports, aircraft, and flight crews combined with the global expanse of air traffic networks,
require airline scheduling to be broken into manageable, traceable pieces (Dunbar, et al., 2012).
In 2006, the North American airline industry experienced a total of 116.5 million minutes of
delay, totalling a $7.7 billion increase in operating costs (Dunbar, et al., 2012).
IV. Development of Alternative Actions
Alternative Action 1. Airline and railway mode of transportation industries to form an
intermodal alliance (Iatrou and Oretti, 2007, p.88).
Case Analysis Guidelines by: Dr. Dave Worrells and Mr. Scott Burgess | ERAU, College of Aeronautics 2
Advantages. Access to airports through dedicated public transport could reduce
problems associated with road traffic and air quality around airports (Iatrou & Oretti, 2007, pp.
88-89). Iatrou & Oretti (2007) suggest an intermodal alliance near airports for better access to
city centers (p.89).
Disadvantages. The absence of interconnectivity, where air and rail industry have
different infrastructures with common rules and facilities (Iatrou & Oretti, 2007, p.89). High-
speed rail links to airports are not profitable in the short-term (Iatrou & Oretti, 2007, p.90).
Alternative Action 2: Increase flight schedules by extra minutes to boost on-time performance
(McCartney, 2012).
Advantages. Passengers would spend less time on aircraft (McCartney, 2012). Airlines
will have fewer planes sitting at terminal gates awaiting connecting passengers (McCartney,
2012).
Disadvantages. An aircraft departing late for a flight will run late for the rest of its flight
pattern for that day, and delays can grow exponentially (McCartney, 2012). A flight off the gate
late may find a long line of planes waiting to take off, or may find that the gate is no longer
available at its destination resulting in an extended wait period (McCartney, 2012).
V. Recommendation
Sequential airline schedule planning of aircraft routing and flight crew-pairing decisions
are to be made simultaneously. Sequential airline schedule planning may maximize profit by
minimizing flight crew and aircraft operating costs. If airline schedule planning increased
utilization of one resource, it would result in removal of slack, providing flight crews with less
time to connect between their flight legs, and aircraft would have a reduced time on ground
between flying.
Case Analysis Guidelines by: Dr. Dave Worrells and Mr. Scott Burgess | ERAU, College of Aeronautics 3
References
Bazargan, M. (2010). Airline operations and scheduling (2nd ed.). Burlington, VT: Ashgate
Publishing Company
Dunbar, M., Froyland, G., & Wu, C. (2012). Robust airline schedule planning: Minimizing
propagated delay in an integrated routing and crewing framework. Transportation
Science, 46(2), 204-216. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.
erau.edu/docview/1018549987?accountid=27203
Gopalakrishnan, B., & Johnson, E. L. (2005). Airline crew scheduling: State-of-the-art. Annals of
Operations Research, 140(1), 305-305. doi: 10.1007/s10479-005-3975-3
Iatrou, K., & Oretti, M. (2007). Airline choices for the future: From alliances to mergers.
Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company.
McCartney, S. (2012, Jun 14). The middle seat: Reality check: Why airlines are shrinking flight
times. Wall Street Journal, pp. 1-D.1. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.
libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/1020180498?accountid=27203
Wensveen, J. G. (2011). Air transportation: A management perspective (7th ed.). Burlington,
VT: Ashgate Publishing Company.
