Colonel John Stapp's Impact On Aviation

One of the most controversial and important air crash linked to human error of the modern world happened on the night of February 12, 2009. Colgan air flight 3407, operated by Continental Connection, was on final approach to runway 23 at Buffalo-Niagara International Airport as it disappeared from radar. The aircraft was a Bombardier Dash 8, a popular twin engine medium range turboprop Airliner used by many regional carriers. The aircraft entered an uncontrollable stall crashing into to a neighborhood 5 miles northeast of the airport killing all everyone on souls on board. The Captain, Marvin Resnlow and first officer Rebecca Lynne were behind the controls the night of the accident. The NTSB report determined error by both pilots cause the aircraft to crash. Thus, pilot fatigues, improper recovery form a stall were contributing factors. The victim’s family members pushed for congress to overhaul airline regulations. The NTBS investigation delivery multiple findings that eventually led to a modernization of airline operations and pilot training.

The Wright Brothers’ Flyer helped create one of the most used transportation systems on Earth. Thousands of people every day use the airplane to travel to other countries, for business reasons and for holidays. The Flyer was evolved over time into a better airplane. The airplanes today are much safer compared to the plane the Wright Brothers invented. Right now, the chance of dying in a crash is less than one in a million, but in the early days, plane crashes occurred more often. Every day, there are approximately 100,000 flights, and the large planes weigh 575 tonnes, the same as 300 cars. Planes can also now carry more people and can keep in flight for longer. Because of the Wright Brothers, people are now able to travel quickly to anywhere they want to

Since the beginning of aviation, aircraft have been used for other intentions besides carrying passengers and cargo. They have been used as weapons of war dating all the way back to the first world war, and the use of aircraft has enlightened the advancement of the aviation. “Throughout the history of aviation, the greatest progress in flight has been made during time when either war or the threat of war was present” (Millspaugh, et al., 2008, p. 33). However, the war we face today has been triggered by the deliberate use of aircraft to cause death, destruction, and mayhem.

In 1963, Yeager was flying the experimental Lockheed Starfighter at over twice the speed of sound when the engine shut off and he was forced to abandon the spinning aircraft. Yeager's compression suit was set on fire by the burning debris from the ejector seat, which became entangled in his parachute. He survived the fall, but required extensive skin grafts for his burns.

To be an airline pilot is most of the time described in terms of duties, job requirements, proficiency, training, employment opportunity, and good salary. These features picture a plain profile that fit into the specification of just an ordinary career. However, an aviation career comes with many challenges than expected. When focusing on statistics about being a pilot, it indicates a lifestyle that many inspire to work despite the many challenges that face this career. The challenges that pilot face revolve around being rested during long flights, performing unexpected, simultaneous tasks, and passing the medical examination in order to remain qualified. When combined with fatigue due to long flight hours, these different aspects can

On October 14, 1947 the sound barrier was broken for the first time by Charles Elwood Yeager. Flying at a rapid speed of 662 miles per hour over Rogers Dry Lake in Southern California. This was faster than the speed of sound and opened up so many different possibilities for aviation as we know it. “No one had ever attempted something like this before because of the simplified theory that the transonic drag rise would tear the aircraft apart” (History, 2009). Chuck Yeager accomplished many things throughout his life that made him the well-known Pilot he is today. One of his biggest achievements that he was credited for was downing five German planes in a single day. Also, becoming the first American

Altitude training is practised by endurance athletes who train for several weeks at high altitude, Over 2,500 metres above sea level, or at intermediate altitudes due to the shortage of suitable altitude training locations. Even at intermediate levels the air still contains approximately 20.9% oxygen, but partial pressure of oxygen is reduced (West J., et al, 1996)

On June 1st, 1999 American Airlines flight 1420 experienced a tragic accident that claimed many lives and made an impact on aviation worldwide. The event and it subsequent investigation shed

With the emergence of new personal electronic devices (PEDs), the company has been pleased to announce the new policy on the usage of such devices, which allows for gate-to-gate usage, so long as no data is transmitted or received. The use of earbud headphones is still not permitted for use until the designated altitude has been reach, however, as a safety protocol. With the number of plane-related incidents in the past year, safety procedures are of the utmost importance and must be maintained to a higher level of standard than usual.

If you have a love for the sky and aviation is one of your interests, you're not deterred from being in charge of at times more than 100 lives, and you have a soft spot for exploring the world than becoming an airline pilot is for you. Airline pilots have one of the coolest, most exciting nerve racking jobs out there. My goal for this paper is to explain all about how to become an airline pilot, what it takes to become one, the facts about the job, and some pros and cons of being in the field. My interest in flying was harbored as a child during vacations, my mother is a flight attendant so we traveled often. Whenever entering an airplane I was at awe of the sheer number of controls in the cockpit and the

This model will then be applied to a case study and a related intervention plan, where it will be evaluated through the Quality of Flight model and the model will be evaluated through the intervention plan. These applications truly show that it is beyond the plane, or an individual’s biological capacities, that determines the quality of a flight, or the quality of an individual’s

The High Altitude experiments were experiments for German pilots to test human endurance at high altitudes both with and without oxygen. Victims were locked in a low-pressure chamber, to which the pressure was increased to 68 thousand feet to simulate a pilot’s decent. Sigmund Rascher was given permission to dissect victims’ brains, while they were still alive, to test if High Altitude Sickness was caused by tiny air bubbles in the blood vessels in a certain part of the victim’s brain. 80 of 200-test subjects died outright, the others were executed. A total of 13 doctors were involved.

In every aspect of life decisions are made. They can be as simple as whether someone goes to class or skip. They can also be life and death situations. In extreme environments, every single move a person makes determines whether they survive or perish. Out of all the extreme environments, aviation is hands down the most difficult one to survive.

The science of human factors in aviation has a come along way since the days of the Wright brothers in 1913 but it did not actually start with them. According to Dr. Bill Johnson, Chief Scientist at the Federal Aviation Administration, human factors “dates back to the 1600s when Leonardo da Vinci drew the Vitruvian Man, with all the anthropometric measures, [when] he was trying to decide if a human was strong enough to propel an aircraft” (FAA, 2012). Long after the work of da Vinci, human factors has brought advancements to aircraft design while creating a greater understanding of the human role in mishaps.

According to Rodrigues and Cusick (2012) humans are accountable for approximately 70-80% of aviation accidents (p.156). A majority of these are caused by the different variables associated with human performance. Psychological factors have a key role in a pilot’s everyday responsibility. Some of these traits include: perception, memory, attitude, judgment and decision making, as well as ego (Rodrigues & Cusick, 2012, p. 158-160). These qualities can have drastic effects in commercial aviation if they are not recognized and adjusted accordingly. In this paper I will respond to some questions that are raised in aviation safety: