4. Conclusion

Root cause failure analysis (RCFA) methods for industrial processes represent a powerful means for managers to identify and eliminate the root causes of failures they deem critical. In the absence of specific standards relating to technical causes of failure, it is essential to assimilate and adapt the concepts to the specific needs of a given industrial sector. In particular, the notions of causal chain, determinism between cause and effect, and functional tree representations are essential to master in order to identify and eliminate root causes. It is important to emphasize that RCFA methods only concern "post-mortem" analyses corresponding to a confirmed state of breakdown. The example of the root cause investigation into the crash of China Airlines 120, which led to the destruction of a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, shows that very rigorous procedures must be followed to draw definite conclusions...