2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Integrating Accident Lessons into Foundational Aviation Education

Presented at Aerospace Division (AERO) Poster Session

Aviation safety is a fundamental component of professional pilot education; however, most safety-related topics are introduced after students have already begun flight training. Early exposure to aviation safety concepts may help shape the professional identity of future pilots and aviation leaders. The objective of this research is to propose a structured plan to incorporate safety concepts in an introductory undergraduate-level aviation course. This study explores how aviation educators can introduce safety into the curriculum by incorporating the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Lessons Learned from Civil Aviation Accidents resource into weekly class activities during an introductory aviation course. The proposed pedagogical approach builds on previous research showing that case-based learning may help students think critically and increase safety awareness early in aviation degree programs. The proposed plan combines safety concepts with the introduction to aviation coursework to help students develop a deeper understanding of human factors, system interactions, and aviation safety culture. Research methods include a literature review of the benefits and challenges of safety training in aviation, engineering, and medicine, as well as an analysis of instructor reflections and the students’ end-of-course feedback related to the integration of the FAA’s "Lessons Learned from Civil Aviation Accidents" materials. Deliverables of this research include the case-based teaching materials: 1) selected FAA accident cases, 2) discussion questions, and 3) guidance on connecting technical concepts to real-world events. The findings of this research may support aviation educators in promoting safety awareness by incorporating authentic FAA cases into introductory aviation curricula and connecting real-life events to the concepts covered in an introductory aviation course. Future studies may use the findings of this work to explore the integration of safety concepts early in curricula, using real-life examples from other professional and engineering programs.

Authors

Gustavo A. Sanchez http://orcid.org/0009-0000-0494-0815 Bowling Green State University [biography]

Gustavo Sanchez is a retired Colombian Air Force Officer with 20 years of distinguished service and over 4,150 flight hours in both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. He holds a Ph.D. in Aviation Technology and Management, specializing in aviation safety and emerging technologies. Dr. Sanchez has served as Director of Aviation Safety Investigations and Director of the Undergraduate Program in Aeronautical Sciences. His academic and professional work focuses on integrating advanced technologies to enhance operational safety and efficiency at Bowling Green State University.
Prof. Mary E. Johnson Ph.D. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6572-0979 Purdue University - Purdue Polytechnic Institute – West Lafayette [biography]

Mary E. Johnson is a Professor and Associate Head for Graduate Studies and Research in the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology (SATT) in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. She earned her BS, MS and PhD in Industrial Engineering from UTArlington
Dr. Jacob Joshua Shila Bowling Green State University [biography]

With research interests spanning life cycle sustainability assessment, environmental impacts of aviation operations, and techno-economic modeling of aviation operations, Dr. Shila research how various new and advanced technologies (e.g., advanced air mobility aircraft) and renewable sources of energy (e.g., sustainable aviation fuels) could potentially be used to minimize the environmental impacts of the aviation operations – for both aircraft and airports operations. Prior to joining academia, Dr. Shila worked as a CO2 emissions specialist in the automotive industry developing computational models to examine a variety of scenarios that can lead to emissions regulations’ compliance while maintaining financial profitability. Aside from research, Dr. Shila teaches numerous courses in the areas of aviation management, airline planning and economics, airport administration, and airport planning and design.
Dr. Shantanu Gupta http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5619-7012 Bowling Green State University [biography]

Shantanu Gupta is an Assistant Professor at the Bowling Green State University in the School of Aviation within the College of Technology, Architecture, and Applied Engineering. Dr. Gupta earned a B.E in Mechanical Engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University, India, a M.S in Aviation and Aerospace Management from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. in Technology from Purdue University, West Lafayette. His research interests include aviation data analytics, AI/ML applications in aviation, and aviation business, finance, sustainability, and education.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

« View session

For those interested in:

engineering
professional
undergraduate