Human
Factors Presentation
____________________________
Overview of Factors affecting
performance in Aviation
Overview of Factors
- Fatigue
- Training
- Distraction
- Ergonomics
Belle
- Attitude to Safety Dickson
- Communication
Maria
- Norm
- Complacency
Bertha
- Stress
- Drugs & Alcohol
…… and other factors
Airline Operations
The Occupations



Pilots
Flight attendants
Maintenance personnel
The performance of the above occupations
are critical for the safe operations in airlines
SHEL model
Software
e.g. checklist
Hardware e.g. gauges
Environment e.g. weather
Liveware e.g. colleague
A negative biological influencer which interfered human’s
performance by generating confusion and slow response.
Symptoms:
Sources:
- Inadequate rest
- Slower reaction time
- Excessive physical activity
- Lower vigilance and cognitive ability
- Stress
- Loss of short term memory and sustained attention
-- Jet
lag in Mental arithmetic and Word generation
Inaction
Impact
Case
The crash of KAL Flight 801 in Guam on 6 Aug 97. 228 / 254 dead
One of the causes – Fatigue!
- The Captain’s normal sleeping pattern was disturbed by
the trip to Guam.
Cockpit Voice Recordings
1520:01 Capt: they make us work to maximum and up to maximum.
1520:28 Capt: probably, this way. Hotel expense will be saved for
cabin crews, and maximise the flight hours. Anyway,
they make us (B747) classic guys work to maximum.
1521:13 Capt : eh….really ….sleepy..
1521:15 F/O : of course.
Source: NTSB report CFIT Korean Air 801, Guam
Countermeasures
How ?

Work shift
- Staffs can rest between each shift.

Training
- Skill-based training and Physical training.

Regulations
- Restriction on working hours.

Quality of sleep / rest ( on-board crew rest areas)
“An attitude is a disposition to respond in a
certain way” (Hawkins, 2002)
Sources:
Symptoms of poor attitude to safety
- Complacency / Overconfidence
- By-passing standard procedure
-- Risk-taking
& Feeling of Invulnerability
Anti-authority
“It won’t happen to me”
- Personality
- Conformity (not speaking up despite problem)
- Conflict between commercial interest and flight safety
Conformity – Air Florida crash 1982
Example – Cockpit Voice Recordings

15:59:58 F/O: God, look at that thing. That don't seem right, does it?
Uh, that's not right.

16:00:09 Capt: Yes it is, there's 80 (knots).

16:00:10 F/O: Na, I don't think that's right. Ah, maybe it is.

16:00:21 Capt: 120(knots)

16:00:23 F/O: I don't know…
After this, the aircraft stalled and crashed…
Source: Air Disaster vol. 2 by Macarthur Job
Impacts
Pilot
- Making decisions that jeopardises safety
- attempting to land in bad weather
(China Airlines MD-11 in Hong Kong, Delta Airlines Tristar in Dallas)
- letting an unauthorised person to occupy the command seat with control of
an aircraft (Aeroflot A310 crash, 1994)
Flight Attendants
- Ignoring problems (e.g. passenger smells smoke)
Maintenance Engineer
- Omission (to meet deadlines)
- Faulty repairs (using un-certified parts)
Countermeasures
How ?
 Crew Resource Management & Training
- improve crew to crew relations (liveware – liveware),
decision making in situations (liveware – environment
- e.g. develop disciplined ethics of work, following checklists (liveware – software)

Improve Airline Safety Culture
- e.g. more emphasis on safety
- Body’s reaction to changing environment
- excites you and increases alertness
- Causes of stress
Stress is mainly caused by events occurring in you
lifestyle or job.
examples

Organization
Career Development
Personal/Family












too much/little work
time pressure
Change procedures
Long hours
time spent away
boredom with role
over promotion
job loss
financial problems
re lationships
ill health
birth, marriage
Symptoms
SHORT TERM
Physical Symptoms
 faster heart beat, increased sweating,
cool skin, nausea, tense
Performance Effects
 obstructs clear judgement
 Loss of precision when completing tasks
 prevents high quality work
 Frustration
Symptoms
LONG TERM
Physical Symptoms
 Health deteriorates
 Behaviour changes
Performance effects
 Can’t think clearly and rationally
 Leads to: Fatigue and Exhaustion,
Depression, Breakdown
PILOT
 Flying is hours of boredom scattered with moments of
total panic.
FLIGHT ATTENDANT
 emergency landing - limited time given to react and
enforce a solution to a possible fatal scenario.
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL
 maintenance work is required to be completely quickly
and accurately.
- How to manage factor?
Six steps to successfully manage stress
1. Identify sources of stress
2. Discuss problems with a friend, counsellor or
psychologist
3. Formulate strategies to cope.
4. Maintain a balanced workload
5. Exercise, eat well and sleep
6. Take regular opportunities to relax
“What’s important is not the source of stress, but how you as an
individual choose to respond to it.”
(Qantas Flight Safety Issue 2 Autumn 2000)
Alcoholism: person having the habit of
consuming alcohol very often and in large
amounts.
Drug Abuse: the use of a drug for pleasure, or
to improve a person’s performance of an activity
(Cambridge Dictionary)
Symptoms:
Alcohol

“hangover”- headache, gastrointestinal upset and
general feelings of ill-health. (Newman, 2004)
Drugs





drowsiness
dizziness
Blurred vision
Confusion
depression
Examples:


Alcohol
Drugs

medicine
(e.g. anti-biotic)

illegal substance
(e.g. cannabis)
!!!>>>>
Alcohol
- Information processing
- memory
- verbal skills
- reaction times
- attention
- perception
- reasoning tasks
Drug
- increase in heart rate, body
temperature and appetite
- respiratory problems
- lung-damage
- cancer
- memory and concentration
impairments
- possible motivational
syndrome
Threat to flight safety

In 1977, a Japan Airlines DC8 crashed in Alaska
and the pilot was subsequently found to have a
BAC of 0.021%.

About 0.06% of pilots and air traffic controllers
have a confirmed positive drug test (FAA)
Countermeasures:


Safety Management System
“No alcohol in the system when you fly”
The Air Regulations require that a pilot allow at
least 12 hours between the consumption of
alcohol and piloting an aircraft.
Substance abuse is discouraged at all
levels!!!
Conclusion



wide range of factors
Good management of HF = reduction of negative effect
on performance
Applies to most areas of airline operations
References

ReferencesAuthor (unknown), 1998, ‘How to Master Stress, Mind Tools Ltd, United
Kingdom’, viewed on 18th April 2005,http://www.psychwww.com/mtsite/smpage.html

Author (unknown), 2003, ‘Stress Management’, Georgia reproductive specialists,
viewed on 24th April 2005, <http://www.ivf.com/stress.html>

Civil Aviation Safety Authority, 2004, ‘Air Operation Certification Manual section 7.28’,
Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Australia, viewed 3rd may 2005,
http://www.casa.gov.au/manuals/regulate/aocm/011r0728.pdf

Department of Transport of Canada, 2004,’Human Performance factors of elementary
work and servicing’, Department of Transport of Canada, Canada, viewed 3 May 2005,
<
http://www.tc.gc.ca/CIVILaviation/maintenance/AARPE/HumanPerformance/menu.htm
>

Graeber, C (published date: unknown),’The Role of Human Factors’, The Boeing
Company, USA, viewed 28 April 2005, <
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_08/human_story.html >

Mattison, P May 2005, ‘Stress’, FAA Aviation News, Atlanta, USA, viewed on 24th April
2005, <http://www.iflyamerica.org/stress.htm>
Newman, D.G., “Alcohol and Human Performance from an Aviation Perspective: A Review”,
March 2004, Australian Transport Safety Bureau, viewed 29 March 2005,
<http://www.atsb.gov.au/aviation/research/alcohol.pdf>
Richmond R L, 2005, ‘The Psychology of stress’, A Guide to Psychology and its Practice, San
Francisco, USA, viewed on 18th April 2005, <http://www.guidetopsychology.com/stress.htm>
Rosekind, M. R., Neri, D. F., Miller, D. L., Gregory, K. B., Webbon, L. L., Oyung, R. L. 1997,
‘Crew Fatigue Research Focusing on Developmental and Use of Effective Countermeasures’,
International Civil Aviation Organization Journal vol. 52, pp. 20 – 22, cited in NASA Human
Factors Ames Research Center, USA, viewed 5 May 2005,
<http://human-factors.arc.nasa.gov/zteam/fcp/pubs/ICAO.journal.html>
Strauss, S (published date: unknown),’ Pilot Fatigue’, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston,
Texas, USA, viewed 20 April 2005, http://www.aviationcrm.com/Pilot_Fatigue.htm
Books
Gradwell, D., Green, R.G, R.L, James, M., Muir, H., 1999, Human Factors for Pilots, 2nd
edition, Ashgate Publishing Limited, England.
Hawkins, F (2nd Edition), 1993, Human Factors in Flight, Aldershot, UK, Ashgate Publishing.
Koonce, J, M, 2001, Human Factors in the Training of Pilots, Taylor and Francis, London.