VFS and the E-VTOL Flight Test Council are hosting a short webinar introducing STPA (System-Theoretic Process Analysis) to flight testers. This is a hazard analysis technique that goes beyond component failures and considers unsafe interactions of system components - even if not failed. MIT Professor and originator Dr. Nancy Leveson will discuss the advantages of STPA over traditional hazard/risk analysis techniques - especially for very complex systems. Attendees will come away with a big-picture sense of where this process pays off, what investment is needed, and where to go for training.
About our speaker:
Nancy Leveson is a Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. Prof. Leveson conducts research on all aspects of system safety including modeling and analysis, design, operations, management, and social aspects, and in the larger arena of system engineering. Her techniques are used in a wide variety of safety-critical industries including aerospace, transportation, chemical plants, nuclear power, medical devices, and many others. One particular common element throughout all her work is an emphasis on applying systems theory to complex systems. She has received many honors, most recently the 2020 IEEE Medal for Environmental and Safety Technologies. She was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2000.