What Does Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) Mean?
A fault tree analysis (FTA) is a deductive failure analysis method that models the pathways within a system that can lead to failures or undesired results. It is a top-down method which starts at a single point and then branches out downwards to display different states of the system using logic symbols. The starting point in this case is a fault or undesired event, and then it is resolved downward to show the causes of the undesired event and then show the causes of those events.
Techopedia Explains Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)
A fault tree analysis is a systematic and stylized deductive process in which an undesired event, such as a catastrophic failure of a system, is defined and then broken down to its individual causes. The very top of the diagram is the event and branching from it are its immediate causes. Each immediate cause is then also resolved into its own immediate causes, and this continues until the most basic causes are identified. This results in a tree with numerous branches highlighting the possible chain of events that caused the failure at the top of the diagram.
