A curated list of resources, methodologies, frameworks, and case studies for performing root cause analysis (RCA) on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems.
UAV Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is essential for identifying and addressing failures, malfunctions, and performance issues in drone systems. This list is intended for aerospace engineers, flight test teams, drone operators, and research professionals.
- General Methodologies
- Aerospace & UAV-Specific RCA
- Tools & Software
- Checklists & Templates
- Case Studies
- Communities & Forums
- Related Awesome Lists
- 5 Whys Technique — A simple yet effective technique for identifying the root cause by asking "Why?" iteratively.
- Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram — Visual tool for categorizing potential causes of a problem.
- Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) — A deductive failure analysis methodology.
- Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) — Structured approach to identifying potential failure modes.
- NASA Root Cause Analysis Guidance — Official NASA handbook on RCA applicable to aerospace and UAV systems.
- Small UAS Safety Case Development Guide — Includes guidance on identifying root causes in UAV systems.
- RTCA DO-178C Standard — Software considerations for airborne systems, applicable for software-related root cause analysis in UAVs.
- Apollo Root Cause Analysis Software — Professional software for complex RCA in aerospace and UAV industries.
- TapRooT® — Comprehensive RCA software used in aviation and safety-critical industries.
- FRACAS (Failure Reporting, Analysis, and Corrective Action System) — Standard aerospace system for managing failure reports and root cause tracking.
- UAV Failure Reporting Template (Example) — Community template for UAV incident reporting.
- Basic Root Cause Analysis Template (ASQ) — General template adaptable for UAV scenarios.
- Aerospace RCA Checklist Example — Adaptable checklist format.
- UAV Incident Root Cause Examples (NASA) — Case studies from NASA on UAV incident investigations.
- DJI UAV Incident Reports — Community-shared incident reports with discussion of root causes.
- DIY Drones — Forums discussing UAV system issues and troubleshooting.
- UAV Coach Community — Community forum covering UAV operations and failure reports.
- Awesome UAV Flight Test Planning
- Awesome Drone Engineers
- Awesome Aerospace Engineering
- Awesome Robotics
Contributions are welcome!