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Old 12th September 2013 | 23:18
  #138 (permalink)  
LeadSled
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Joined: Jul 2001
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From: Australia
‘Safer’ is a somewhat meaningless term.
OK465,
Well said, a meaningless term, a expression without dimension. An emotive term of no use to us, but a very effective term to get the attention of the public and politicians.

We can measure risk, and to use a hackneyed phrase, "if you can measure it, you can manage it".

The construction of the obstacle clearance envelopes in Doc. 8168, and the lower minima possible, compared with earlier PANS-OPS editions, all have a risk analysis foundation, not "safe or not safe" as a design criteria.

From the accident record, it is clear that dive and drive is a serious issue, so a constant descent path decreases the risk of a CFIT and has the bonus of being a stable approach, without question (although some probably will) much preferred in any aircraft, but particularly heavy transport aircraft.

There is no such thing as "safe", only risk minimization, in one form of analysis defining a range of risk levels, titled ALARP -- As Low As Reasonably Practical.
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