Human Performance And Commercial Aircraft Accidents

There are many aircraft accident factors in which investigators need to pursue in order to come to a good conclusion on what the cause or causes of an aircraft accident were. A portion of what the investigator looks into is the human factors surrounding the accident. This highly diverse and expansive area needs to be systematically looked into to figure out if any human factors were causation of an aircraft accident. One model that investigators utilize in order to sift through the human factors that may be attributable to an accident is the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) Model. This Model breaks down human factors into four different sections, organizational influences, unsafe supervision, preconditions for unsafe acts, and unsafe acts of operators. Throughout this case study, the accident of American Airlines flight 1420 will be dissected utilizing the HFACS Model to uncover human factors issues with the aircraft operator organization, aircraft flight crew, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“Human error is responsible for the majority of aviation disasters. ... Such factors can include pilot fatigue from not getting enough sleep, distractions within or outside the cockpit, and simple design choices for the aircraft or spacecraft that make human mistakes more likely.” (Discovery) Many of the human errors in aviation today are caused by common occurrences in the human interaction part of flight, and that if eliminated, will reduce the chance of airplane accidents. In aviation, the underlying cause of machinery and human error is caused by either how well it can be built or the amount of training a pilot can go through. In an event of an accident, a whole list of certain checkpoints are reviewed and looked over. The foremost system reviewed is the human inputs, these are the most important yet uncontrollable parts of any incident. The video Why Planes Crash identifies the need to question not only the pilots actions, but anything that could’ve influenced those actions.(pg.375)

Technology and computers are all positive innovations but to operate those machines and equipment humans are needed. Human factor is the most important factor in an Aviation field. On one single airport thousands of employee work and humans on ground operates all the equipments.

“Engineering has a direct and vital impact on the quality of life for all people.” 1 It is by this premise that engineering codes of ethics have been written to outline professional standards for both managers and engineers. Exhibiting the highest standards of honesty and integrity are imperative for the protection of public health, safety, and welfare.2 When ethical principles are compromised, the risk of endangering others greatly increases, especially with mission and safety critical systems. Extreme consequences include not only complete mission failures and great financial loss, but also fatalities. Though most engineering accidents are associated with aerospace,

In the conclusion to Chapter 4, Manuele states: "To avoid hazard-related incidents resulting in serious injuries, human error potentials must be addressed at the cultural, organizational, management system, design, and engineering levels, and with respect to the work methods prescribed." Briefly discuss how each of these levels contributes to human error. Which one of these levels, if addressed, is likely to result in the greatest benefit for reducing human error reduction?

The purpose with this research paper is to identify and understand the risks and hazards behind fatigue and stress that each flight attendant has experienced or still experiencing, due to lack of human factor improvements concerning, working schedule, time zone difference, pressure and stress due to fatigue. Nearly everyone in any work position can face fatigue at come point. Depending on the type of work and how much responsibility the employer has in the aviation industry, the stress level increases followed by the fatigue. Stress is defined as pressure that affects a person both physically and emotionally. The human body raises a challenge and preparing to face tough situations with focus and strength. The stress level is different from body to body and it also varies from time to time. However; fatigue is the description to lack of motivation and energy both physically and mentally, which causes a decrease in performance and alertness. Flight attendants job is one of many jobs in the aviation industry where it is very usual to experience stress as well as fatigue, that can reduce the ability of awareness of risks and hazards that may occur, later lead to major accidents or incidents. Crew resource management should be practiced by all personnel regularly and applied to improve safety, especially in such industry where many humans lives are involved daily. Aside from crew resource management, control is very important and should be applied as a human factor

As highlighted before, the investigation identified several types of human failures, including inspection errors and violations of operational procedures. According to Hobbs, maintenance management is critical to ensure aviation safety, and improper maintenance contributes as primary cause to a significant (7-14 %) proportion of aviation accidents and incidents. (Hobbs, 2008) However, individual failures in maintenance activities are usually not the root-causes of failures but affected by the work

Long after Leonardo da Vinci, human factors research originated with aviation (Salas et al., 2010). Once the pioneers of aviation began taking to the air, the quest for safety and efficiency began with an ever-increasing fervor. Aviation accidents have long been viewed as spectacular and with the spectacle of an accident comes the public outcry over safety. While not all human factors research deals with accidents, the majority of money put into the

In this day 'Crew Resource Management' (CRM) is strongly evident within the aviation industry. Having developed a positive reputation over the years of its application, it is highly recognised as an icon for safety practices among many major operators.

We’ve spent the last years in aviation focusing on increasing safety by trying to perfect aircraft to only learn, as Wilbur Wright stated, “...the safety of the operator is more important than any other point. Greater prudence is needed rather than greater skill.” This meaning that it isn’t the technology or the aircrews’ individual capabilities; it is the lack of caution and preparation instilled into the aircrew. Information gathered from flight data recorders, FDRs, and cockpit voice recorders, CVRs, revealed new insights on aircraft accidents. The result of several accidents was

Although automation has steadily increased it’s impact on the modern cockpit in recent years, human factors still play a vital role in ensuring

and apparent in today’s world. There are many human factors that all come with their own disadvantages. However, through the study and experience with human factors come improvements and ways to avoid these disadvantages.

Human error is a primary factor that makes organisational accidents unavoidable. Human error is defined as a human decision or action in which

It was developed partly due to the recognition that many of UAS operators do not have a background in manned aviation. It is important these operators are made incorporated into the culture of safety within aviation. The Safety Team has created the UAS Loss of Control, Injury Reduction and Safety Culture risk-reduction working groups.

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: