Advancing Cascading Effects Analysis in Aviation: A Systematic Literature Review

With technological advancements, modern aircraft are incorporating new functions and features, along with increased levels of automation. As a result, aircraft systems are becoming more integrated and complex, making safety analyses increasingly challenging without the support of appropriate methods and tools. The high degree of system integration and the extensive interconnections between components can trigger cascading failures, potentially causing undesirable effects at the highest levels of aircraft functions. Cascading Effects Analysis (CEA) is a bottom-up technique, proposed by SAE ARP-4761A to assess the effects of such failures. However, the traditional CEA approach relies on manual processes, requires data from multiple sources, is time-consuming, and heavily depends on the safety engineer's expertise, making the analysis subjective and error-prone. This paper conducts a literature review on the state-of-the-art methods and techniques for Cascading Effects Analysis, with a focus on identifying gaps and limitations in current techniques. Using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology, 359 papers were initially identified, with 15 selected for indepth review. The review considered the following aspects: proposal, scope, methods and tools, case study, results, and conclusion. Based on this review, the paper aims to highlight new perspectives and opportunities for advancing Cascading Effects Analysis methodologies.

Keywords: Cascading failure, cascading effects, CEA, failure propagation.