Research on Failure Mode Verification of Civil Aircraft Based on Reliability Data

To verify the accuracy and completeness of FMEA and FTA, this paper proposes a comprehensive failure mode verification method based on reliability data. This method collects multi-source reliability data and identify actual failure modes occurring in equipment during operation firstly, thereby compiling a list of actual failure modes. Next, this list is compared with the FMEA report from the design phase to verify the failure modes themselves. A deeper qualitative verification of the causes, mechanisms, and impacts of the failures is then conducted, leading to the correction and updating of the FTA logical structure to ensure consistency between the safety analysis model and the actual failure logic.Building upon the qualitative verification, the method proceeds to quantitative verification. A comparative analysis is conducted between the actual failure rates of the failure modes and the estimated values in the FMEA. Using the validated failure rate data, the probability of the FTA top event is recalculated and compared against the safety target probability specified in airworthiness regulations to achieve quantitative verification of the failure condition probability. As a core innovation and enhancement of the method, this paper introduces sensitivity analysis. Through tools such as calculating Birnbaum importance and plotting tornado plots, it quantitatively assesses the sensitivity and impact of uncertainties in the failure rate parameters of each bottom event on the probability of failure condition, thereby identifying the key failure modes. The research findings provide theoretical support and a practical engineering foundation for evaluating the actual reliability level of the aircraft fleet, improving the accuracy of safety analysis during the design phase, and guiding preventive maintenance and design improvements.