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FBO DAILY - FEDBIZOPPS ISSUE OF APRIL 23, 2014 FBO #4533
DOCUMENT

A -- MARKET SURVEY ANNOUNCEMENT - R&D SERVICES FOR IMPROVED ROTORCRAFT OPERATIONAL SAFETY (HUMAN FACTORS) - Attachment

Notice Date

4/21/2014
 

Notice Type

Attachment
 

NAICS

541712 — Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
 

Contracting Office

FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, AAQ-330 WA - FAA Headquarters (Washington, DC)
 

Solicitation Number

16067
 

Response Due

4/30/2014
 

Archive Date

4/30/2014
 

Point of Contact

Andrew Landestoy, andrew.landestoy@faa.gov, Phone: 202-493-4487
 

E-Mail Address

Click here to email Andrew Landestoy
(andrew.landestoy@faa.gov)
 

Small Business Set-Aside

N/A
 

Description

MARKET SURVEY ANNOUNCEMENT HUMAN FACTORS' R&D SERVICES FOR IMPROVED ROTORCRAFT OPERATIONAL SAFETY 1. Introduction/Purpose The FAA has a requirement for human factors research and development (R&D) services. The requirement is to develop scientific and technical information that will support recommendations for regulatory guidance that are intended to improve rotorcraft operational safety. Although no funding has yet been programmed for this area of safety-critical human factors scientific effort, we are planning a significant, multi-year program of research and development to address current and emerging human factors challenges to rotorcraft operational safety. Initially, there are six identified focus areas for this R&D program to characterize and address human factors issues in rotorcraft technologies and procedures, including: a. NVIS (NVG) Operations. Data is needed to address night vision goggle (NVG) single crew operations into unimproved landing zones. The data will inform decisions for minimum crew and type of operation, including cognitive task and information needs analysis relative to visual cueing with and without NVG, considering no landing zone (LZ) preparation. A human factors cognitive task analysis and subsequent simulation research would be used to obtain the needed data. Mandating use of NVG at night in all environments might create human factors safety concerns. Additional R&D will address these considerations. b. Inflight Weather Decision Making. In order to mitigate continued visual flight rules (VFR) flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) during HEMS operations, there is a need for human factors R&D to develop procedures and tools to assist the flight crew in airborne weather assessment and decision making. This is a priority safety initiative to reduce HEMS controlled-flight-into-terrain (CFIT) and wirestrike events in deteriorating weather. The R&D goal is to provide authoritative guidance to HEMS crews through decision support and training. This will mitigate mission pressures to continue VFR flight during adverse weather. The current web-based aviation digital data service (ADDS) HEMS tool addresses preflight planning considerations, but does not mitigate problems related to continuing VFR flight into adverse weather after the mission has launched. One approach under consideration would ask a joint government (FAA-NASA) and industry team to characterize the flight crew information needs, and then to develop recommendations for follow-on research. The research would develop and evaluate mitigations including airborne tools (e.g., iPAD applications), displays, operating heuristics, and associated training to reduce the incidence of airborne weather decision making errors. c. Fuel Mismanagement. Fuel mismanagement human factors issues may account for increased accidents. A research assessment of these accidents will identify the nature and scope of the problem and lead to recommendations for research to develop appropriate mitigations. d. Runway Safety and Runway Incursion Mitigation. Research is needed to develop guidance for 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 91 and 135 helicopter operators and regulatory oversight personnel. The guidance will implement operating procedures and emphasize pilot actions to maintain awareness during taxi operations, reducing the incidence of runway incursions. Unique issues are related to rotorcraft operations in the airport environment. Land pad locations, with or without taxiway access, landing pad safety areas, landing on taxiways, non-standard approaches to landing areas, hover and air taxi operations, and visibility of signage and markings are areas of concern. In FY12, a Category A runway incursion occurred at White Plains, NY (HPN) due to a rotorcraft, and several Category C events involving rotorcraft have also been reported. A study of runway incursion event data would identify common causal factors related to rotorcraft operations in and around runway and landing pad safety areas. Recommendations would be formulated for potential mitigations to lower the risk of rotorcraft runway incursions and accidents. e. Single Pilot Required Navigation Performance (RNP) Operations. Single pilot helicopters conducting RNP operations may exceed pilot workload (minimum crew / type of operation) and safe operating practices. A simulation study would provide data that would identify the potential need for operating limitations and mitigations for excessive workload in single pilot RNP operations. f. Human Factors Aspects of Improved Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) Airways in Metroplex and Other Congested Areas. Improved IFR airway structure in specific regions of the National Airspace System is a priority of the Vertical Flight Committee (VFC). This will improve safety of IFR operations in high density helicopter operations areas, and will separate these operations from other commercial operations in metroplex areas. The development of improved IFR infrastructure will improve operational safety in EMS and other commercial helicopter operations. Additionally, this infrastructure will also help to provide separation of helicopter operations from eventual unmanned aircraft operations in these congested areas. Human factors research will facilitate development of this improved infrastructure. Note that the focus areas for the R&D program are subject to the needs of the FAA ™s regulatory policy organizations. Therefore, the scope and emphasis areas may vary substantially from the time of this announcement until issuance of a formal solicitation and negotiation of an award, expected early in fiscal year 2015. 2. Acquisition Landscape, Strategy, and Size There is currently no incumbent contractor for this procurement. The FAA welcomes market survey information from all potential offerors. 3. Nature of Competition The acquisition strategy for the procurement has not been determined at this time. The FAA may choose to make no award, a single award, or multiple awards, and these could include various types of agreements such as Cooperative Agreements, Other Transaction Agreements, and contract awards, through either an unrestricted competition or a set-aside. The particular acquisition strategy to be used for the procurement will be chosen depending on the responses to the market survey. Based on initial funding and technical requirement estimates, we anticipate projects of one year duration, with options for up to three subsequent one-year awards without further competition. In the past, agreements of this nature have included year-long R&D efforts with award values in the $200,000 to $300,000 range. 4. Notes to Interested Parties a. This is not a Screening Information Request or Request for Proposals of any kind; b. The FAA is not seeking or accepting unsolicited proposals; c. The FAA will not pay for any information received or costs incurred in preparing the response to the market survey; and d. Any costs associated with the market survey submittal is solely at the interested vendor ™s expense 5. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code NO NAICS size standard HAS BEEN DETERMINED. Applicable NAICS codes may include, but may not be limited to, the following: 541720 Psychology research and development services 541712 Engineering research and development laboratories or services 541690 Safety consulting services 926120 Transportation safety programs, government 6. Market Survey Data Request Please submit corporate experience and capabilities including relevant project experience summaries describing the nature of the work, significant results, and FAA Aviation Safety regulatory oversight office use of the product(s) in new and modified regulations and regulatory guidance material if known. Please also provide staff resumes, and a consolidated list of refereed scientific journal publications, conference papers, and book chapters, as well as government scientific technical report titles with abstracts for relevant human factors work that your staff has completed. Please do not exceed 25 pages in your response. Please provide the material in electronic form to Ms. Vida Lee-Olives, by April 30, 2014. Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) electronic formats are preferred. If your submission exceeds 10 MB, please mail your response to the following address: Federal Aviation Administration 800 Independence Avenue, SW, Room 335 Washington, DC 20591 ATTN: Ms. Vida Lee-Olives Contracting Officer, AAQ-330 Please contact Ms. Vida Lee-Olives by email at Vida.Lee-Olives@faa.gov with questions and to provide market survey responses. Please also provide a point of contact for your organization that we may use to request further information or clarification of your response. If you're viewing this announcement from a source other than Federal Aviation Administration Contract Opportunities (FAACO), visit https://faaco.faa.gov/index.cfm/announcement/view/16213 to view the original announcement.
 

Web Link

FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOT/FAA/HQ/16067/listing.html)
 

Document(s)

Attachment
 

File Name: Market Survey Announcement - 27MAR2014 (doc) (https://faaco.faa.gov/index.cfm/attachment/download/39809)

Link: https://faaco.faa.gov/index.cfm/attachment/download/39809

 

Note: If links are broken, refer to Point of Contact above or contact the FBO Help Desk at 877-472-3779.
 

Record

SN03344255-W 20140423/140421234731-244533820acf8088601d60ffb344b6b3 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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