00624752

Component

http://onlinepubs.trb.org...trr/1992/1332/1332-003.pdf

https://scholar.google.co...wood&publication_year=1992

Variations in human behavior and performance are responsible for a large percentage of aviation accidents. Selected human factors that contribute to general aviation accidents are identified and classified and their frequency of occurrence is determined with the intent of providing means to reduce the accident rate. The purpose of human factors research in aviation is twofold. First, human limitations and capabilities are defined in terms of interaction with people and with mechanical, technical, and procedural systems. This definition spells out what a human can and cannot do; thus the limits of the human performance envelope are established. Second, knowledge concerning the envelope can be used to provide direction for modification of flight training, system design, and aircraft design. A checklist based on a systems approach to understanding human behavior in aircraft accidents was used to identify human factors that contributed to general aviation accidents. Accidents studied were selected randomly from all 1988 National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident reports. Some types of human factors were readily identifiable from NTSB reports. Other factors were not identified directly by NTSB; it was difficult to detect their influence from the body of the reports. Although use of the modified checklist identified human factors as contributing to 90% of the accidents studied, it is likely that some contributing human factors were not detected, and that the actual percentage is higher. The high incidence of human factors contributing to general aviation accidents points out a need for increased or modified training in several areas. Incorporation of a human factors checklist into the NTSB accident investigation procedure would be a step toward identification of all factors contributing to aviation accidents. This information could then be used to modify pilot training and aviation systems development to reduce the accident rate.

This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1332, Public-Sector Aviation Issues: Graduate Research Award Papers 1990-1991. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved

01495758

English

p. 21-29

1992

Transportation Research Record

0309051711

Figures (3) ; References (22) ; Tables (2)

Airline pilots; Behavior; Crashes; Flight training; General aviation; Human factors; Systems analysis

Modifications; Pilot training

Aviation; Highways; Safety and Human Factors

TRIS, TRB

Jul 31 1993 12:00AM

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