Application of expert systems to aircraft accident investigation

In the last few decades there has been a considerable growth in the development of scientific methodologies for investigating complex issues, such as aircraft accidents, in order to establish a set of priorities for possible and desirable improvements. The essence of these methodologies is that they provide the optimal decision with respect to these priorities, which is based on information available, the strategic objectives and prediction of the future issues to be considered. An interdisciplinary approach and intuition have shown to be vital elements in developing contemporary methods for creating strategic decisions. A number of intuitive methods have been developed over the past few decades. One of the most successful among these methods is the Delphi technique. This paper discusses the application of the Delphi technique with respect to improving of aircraft accident investigation, in particular the stages of aircraft accident investigation where significant improvements can be made by contemporary technology and science. This paper provides the results of a qualitative and quantitative analysis of influential factors that have an impact on investigation outcomes. Furthermore, this paper addresses the requirement for a tool, which will be able to capture and store specific knowledge and analytical skills of a large number of experts. The paper discusses how aircraft accident investigation can be improved with the application of a global expert system as a tool for storing and analysing the forensic data of aircraft accidents worldwide.