Olga Olejnik

2025-02

Automated compliance status reporting — built a Python pipeline that extracts compliance status from DOORS, generates a weekly compliance matrix status report, and flags items approaching milestone deadlines.

Challenge: DOORS REST API rate limits (100 requests/minute) made real-time compliance matrix queries impractical for the 500+ item matrix. Implemented a nightly cache refresh that loads the full compliance matrix into a local database, enabling fast report generation without DOORS API throttling.

Learned: DOORS REST API is too slow for real-time compliance reporting on large matrices. A caching layer that refreshes nightly and enables fast local queries is the practical solution — builds reporting capability without hammering the DOORS server or triggering API rate limits.

2024-05

Compliance gap analysis for CS-25 Amendment 26 new requirements — assessed impact of new bird strike and hail requirements on existing certification compliance basis. Identified 8 structural items requiring re-substantiation.

Challenge: CS-25 Amendment 26 bird strike requirements for powerplant installation (CS-25.571(e)) had new energy levels that exceeded original design basis for 2 engine mount structural items. Re-substantiation by analysis alone was not acceptable — physical testing was required, adding 14 months to the certification plan.

Learned: CS-25 amendment impact assessments must be completed at amendment publication, not at the next program review. Certification program schedules must include contingency for re-substantiation by test when amendment requirements exceed original design basis — analysis-only re-substantiation is rarely accepted for major loading changes.

2023-10

Ultimate load structural test witnessing — observed and documented the wing root bending ultimate load test. Verified test load application against test plan, monitoring strain gauge readings and deflection in real time.

Challenge: During the test, a strain gauge in the spar cap area showed a reading 12% higher than analysis prediction at 85% of limit load. Required an on-the-spot engineering assessment: continue to limit load or stop and investigate. Conservative decision: stop test and investigate. Root cause was a local stress concentration from a bolt hole that was not modeled.

Learned: Real-time strain monitoring during structural tests must have pre-agreed decision criteria for exceeding prediction thresholds. A go/no-go decision criterion (e.g., >10% deviation from prediction triggers hold for engineering assessment) must be defined in the test plan before the test, not decided ad hoc during the test.

2023-04

CS-25.307 Proof of Structure compliance matrix — documented MOC for all 180 structural analysis reports covering static strength, fatigue, damage tolerance, and flutter substantiation. Maintained traceability from CS-25 requirement to compliance evidence.

Challenge: 140 of 180 analysis reports were submitted in different formats across 5 engineering groups — compliance status was reported using inconsistent terminology. Built a Python parser to standardize compliance status extraction from report metadata fields and flag non-standard language for manual review.

Learned: Compliance matrix management across multiple engineering groups requires an early standard for compliance report format and compliance status terminology. A compliance report template with mandatory metadata fields (requirement reference, MOC type, compliance conclusion, revision status) prevents matrix management chaos.