SAE ARP4761A — Guidelines and Methods for Conducting the Safety Assessment Process on Civil Airborne Systems and Equipment

ARP4761A

Section 07: The Big Standards Map

Definition

An SAE Aerospace Recommended Practice that provides guidelines and methods for conducting the safety assessment process on civil airborne systems and equipment. ARP4761A describes the Functional Hazard Assessment (FHA), Preliminary System Safety Assessment (PSSA), System Safety Assessment (SSA), and Common Cause Analysis (CCA) processes, along with detailed guidance on specific analysis methods including Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Markov Analysis, Dependency Diagrams, and other techniques used to demonstrate compliance with 25.1309 and equivalent regulations.

Where This Shows Up

ARP4761A is the companion standard to ARP4754B: while ARP4754B addresses the development process, ARP4761A addresses the safety assessment process that runs in parallel. The two standards are designed to be used together, with ARP4761A providing the safety methods and ARP4754B providing the development framework. ARP4761A Revision A updated the original ARP4761 with enhanced guidance on common cause analysis, aircraft-level FHA, and integration with the development process.

Primary Sources

SAE ARP4761A (2023) — Guidelines and Methods for Conducting the Safety Assessment Process

The primary standard document. Revision A provides updated and expanded guidance on safety assessment methods.

FAA AC 25.1309-1A — System Design and AnalysisFAA

FAA Advisory Circular that references ARP4761 methods as acceptable for demonstrating 25.1309 compliance.

Across Jurisdictions

FAA (United States)

FAA references ARP4761 methods in AC 25.1309-1A as acceptable safety assessment techniques. ARP4761A is broadly accepted by FAA certification offices.

EASA (Europe)

EASA references ARP4761 methods in AMC 25.1309. The EUROCAE equivalent ED-135 is also recognized.

Related Terms

SAE ARP4754B — Guidelines for Development of Civil Aircraft and Systems (ARP4754B)Functional Hazard Assessment (FHA)Preliminary System Safety Assessment (PSSA)System Safety Assessment (SSA)Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)Common Cause Analysis (CCA)

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