Preview

HUMAN FACTORS IN AVIATION

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1437 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
HUMAN FACTORS IN AVIATION
Introduction
Above seventy percent of airline accidents get attributed to human error. This error has developed to become a vital worry in airline management and maintenance performances (Graeber, 2006). Where there is a human factor one, cannot avoid human error hence precautions should be taken to prevent accidents.
Human Factor
Human factor involves information collection on human limitations and abilities, and application of the information to machines, tools, tasks, system, environment and jobs to generate effective, comfortable and safe human usage (Graeber, 2006). Human factors in aviation emphasize on integrating themselves with the latest technology. This knowledge then gets transformed into policies, training, design, and procedures in the effort to better the performance of the human factor. Aviation is doubtfully a highly dangerous and unforgiving work environment. The so far represented weakest joint among the equipment edge is the human factor.
As used in aviation, human factors envelop system analysis, control, design, automation, human capabilities, skill acquisition, processing of information, plus crew work load, display, and interaction of human and machines. It further covers the environmental factors, psychological, accident prevention and physiological influence. According to the study of NTSB, Human factors also checks on the age of the pilots. The elderly above 50 years have a record of more air accidents than the young. This is so following the reduction of memory capacity (Graeber, 2006).
Fatigue represents a significant physiological factor making one to give a slow reply to an effect. One can get fatigued from different factors including; overwork, stress, less sleep, and personal problems. The state of the body affects ones capability to comprehend the surroundings plus the entire conditions of a flight.
The crushing of Air flight 1008 belonging to Dan Air crashed in 1980 at Mt. La Esperanza represents a brilliant example



References: Fly baby accident reports. (2007). Obtained 12/10/2012, from http://www.bowersflybaby.com/safety/accid.htm. Graeber, C. (2006). Human factors engineering: aviation. Boeing commercial airplanes group. Obtained 12/10/2012, from http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero. Human factors and aviation safety. (2007). Obtained 12/10/2012, from http://www.wcupa.edu/academics/schcas.psy/career path/aviation/subfield2.htm Human factors in fatal accidents. (2006). Obtained 12/10/2012, from http://www.narcap.org/humanfactorsinfatalaircraftaccidents.pdf Leland, D. (2007). Night Flights and aviation Accidents. Oxford: Oxford Press.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Walters, J. M., Sumwalt, R. L. (2000). Aircraft accident analysis: final reports. New York: McGraw-Hill.…

    • 2974 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    13. Wise, J. A., Hopkin, D. V., and Garland, D. J. (2010), Handbook of aviation human factors, United States of America: Taylor & Francis Group…

    • 4745 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Unit 3 P1

    • 1428 Words
    • 6 Pages

    If an employee is working nights, it is important that they get the correct amount of sleep after a shift in order for their body to function properly. Sleep depravation is a major health hazard and also can cause employees to become a health and safety risk. An example of this in the aviation industry is security officers not searching a passenger properly because they are too tired or sleep deprived to focus and perform their job properly this person may have explosives in their shoes with the intent to blow up an aircraft. If the security officer was not fatigued, then this would normally be detected instantly however because they are fatigued they may become very relaxed and lazy with security checks on passengers meaning that suspicious or dangerous items may make it through to airside. This a major health and safety risk which is why it is important that supervisor understand the effects of fatigue and how it affects a person’s alertness and work ethic. It is also important that supervisor and managers understand the effects of sleep deprivation and the serious consequences and impact it can have on the aviation industry. Supervisors must monitor employees for fatigue and know their limits especially if…

    • 1428 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The case Analysis is on the Kegworth Air Disaster. The Disaster is about the British Midland Airline Flight 92 was a Boeing 737-499t hat departed London-Heathrow on January 8, 1989 with a destination of Belfast, Ireland. The Argument here is organizational failure of inadequate training of the pilots. According to the investigation report written by EJ Trimble both pilots had spent many hours in the Boeing 737-300 series but were new to the 400 series. The case here was the complete lack of training from the pilots. The pilots were given responsibility of human lives without being proficient on the aircraft they were flying. All that had been provided to the pilots on the changes in air conditioning systems was a study guide, which could not help them anyway. The pilots disregarded protocol by shutting down the wrong engine, because of prior experience in flying a different series of the same model. Another problem was the lack of communication, the cabin crew saw the smoke and did not relay the information to the pilots.…

    • 274 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Crew (or Cockpit) Resource Management training originated from a NASA workshop in 1979 that focused on improving air safety. The NASA research at that time found the primary cause of the majority of aviation accidents to be human error, and further showed the main problems to be failures of interpersonal communication, leadership, and decision making in the cockpit. Cockpit Resource Management (CRM) has gained increased attention from the airline industry in recent years due to the growing number of accidents and near misses in airline traffic. Cockpit Resource Management is a far-reaching discussion of crew coordination, communication, and resources from both within and without the cockpit. CRM concepts have endured by not only integrating themselves into the fabric of training, but also expanding the…

    • 1440 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Final Paper

    • 2626 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Schwaninger, A. (2006). Airport security human factors : From the weakest to the strongest link in airport security screening, 1–6.…

    • 2626 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Flight 173 Essay

    • 1727 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Let us delve into one of these incidences, of which deals with the human error surrounding the crew of American Airline’s flight 173, whom lost their lives due to human and mechanical error. United Airlines…

    • 1727 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Recruitment Plan

    • 2305 Words
    • 10 Pages

    HR personnel in the aerospace and defense industry are faced with a higher demand for aerospace and defense employees that can adequately be met with existing resources, which creates human capital issues related to the strategic goals of his or her organization. A sound recruitment and retention plan can mitigate the issues and challenges that might have negative implications to the organization. A division (sectors) of the aerospace and defense industry provides the HRM with insight to the number of who, what, and where human capital is required.…

    • 2305 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Bainbridge, L. (1999). Processes Underlying Human Performance. In Daniel Garland, John Wise, V. David Hopkins (Ed.), Handbook of Aviation Human Factors (p. 162). London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.…

    • 3549 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Risk 1

    • 1254 Words
    • 6 Pages

    8. What impact does routine inspection of aircraft for mechanical problems have on the risk of airplane crashes for United Airlines?…

    • 1254 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aviation Professionalism

    • 924 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The issue of professionalism and responsibility in the airline industry has been in focus recently due to some recent events like the Northwest pilots flying past their destination airport, in-flight breakdowns and rants by pilots and flight attendants, and airline mergers. I feel that sometimes media speculation exaggerates the issues presented to society and highlights mistakes where the public gets the impression that these types of incidents and errors are taking place daily. The reality is that safety measures are an integral part of an airline worker’s training and major errors or incidents occur rather infrequently. At the same time, another reality is that a mistake made by an airline employee, whether pilot, technician, or air traffic controller runs the risk of being fatal and this is where the attributes and ethics of an individual come into play.…

    • 924 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Crisis Management Tenerife

    • 7558 Words
    • 31 Pages

    Civil Aviation Organization ICAO and researchers as a model for human errors in the airplane…

    • 7558 Words
    • 31 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Qantas Airways is the largest airline in Australia. Its Human Resource Management operates in the company in four major areas, which are business segments, corporate, shared services, development, and learning. This report gives limelight to the Qantas airways HRM and its role in ensuring perfect operations of the company. It further discusses change management and job analysis and design. The company has undergone intensive change management such as cutting of prices and labor costs in order to ensure high productivity, moderation of wages as well as the introduction of flexible structures through a versatile and motivated workforce. Moreover, the HRM is also responsible of ensuring that right people are hired and given necessary training under job analysis and design. However, despite the roles that the company has entrusted the HRM, there have been heightened cases of accidents and strikes from dissatisfied workers alleging that they are paid meager salaries. This shows a HRM gap in delivering its responsibilities. Therefore, the report further argues that the HRM has failed in its change management and job design and analysis strategy. In order to correct the situation, the report further proposes that the HRM change its training and communication model. As a means to an end, the report discusses some of the implications emerging from the HRM problems and ends with a comprehensive summary.…

    • 2652 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Flight Crew Fatigue Essay

    • 3346 Words
    • 14 Pages

    From the CHIRP reports, there have been many complaints of different fatigue related issues by pilots and it seems to be the most frequent and consistent complaint. They continue to receive significant number of reports describing incidents attributed to the cumulative effects of fatigue or citing their shift patterns as a potential fatigue cause (CHIRP, 1996).…

    • 3346 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Human Factors on Aloha 243

    • 2397 Words
    • 10 Pages

    After studying the Aloha aircraft accident in 1933, our group is interested in the investigation in Human performances factors in maintenance and inspection. We have divided the investigation into 5 aspects:…

    • 2397 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays