Applying Human Factors

Principles
Chapter 10
Section B
Aeronautical Decision
Making

Risk Elements

Pilot fitness, competency, currency, experience

Aircraft performance, limits, equipment,

airworthiness

Environment wx., airport conditions, ATC svcs.

Operation purpose of flight

Situation situational awareness of all above

Decision-making Process

D detect
E estimate
C choose
I identify
D do
E evaluate

Accidents Incidents

Accident

An occurrence in which any person on board the

aircraft suffers death or serious injury, or in which
the aircraft receives substantial damage

Incident

An occurrence other than an accident which

affects the safety of operations

NTSB

National Transportation Safety Board

Investigates every U. S. civil aviation accident

Issues safety recommendations
Maintains database
Conducts research on safety issues
www.ntsb.gov

Poor Judgment Chain

aka error chain

Accidents and incidents rarely, if ever, are the

result of a single cause

Usually a series of errors occurs which lead

to the accident or incident

Break one link in the chain and sequence of

events would be stopped

Risk

Flight activities where accidents are most

likely to occur

When do aviation accidents happen?

57.2% of GA accidents occur during 6% of flight time

Takeoff/initial climb, Approach, Landing

PIC Responsibility

Read top half of page 10-28

Judgment

Learned

From your mistakes

From other experiences
From the experiences of others

Ability to exercise good judgment affected by

Stressors

Stressors

Three categories

Physical stress
Physiological stress
Psychological stress

Personal checklist

Stress

Improving Judgment

Anticipate decisions
Train and practice in critical areas
Match individual skills with the job
Standardize whenever possible
Maintain positive attitudes
Practice effective communications
Be deliberate in decision making

Hazardous Attitudes

Communication

Sending
Listening
Feedback

Good ATC radio procedures help

Communication
When the rear-seat pilot of a dual-piloted T-33
aircraft attempted to adjust his position, he
inadvertently deployed the life raft in the seat
bucket survival kit. As the raft inflated, it
pushed the stick forward, which caused the
aircraft to pitch nose down. The front seat pilot
attempted to correct the dive, but met
resistance when he pulled the stick back.

Communication, continued
Meanwhile, the back seater found and
deployed the raft deflation tool. The front
seater, trying to solve the control problem,
heard an explosion as the cockpit filled with
talcum powder from inside the raft, which
looked very much like smoke. He identified the
problem as an engine failure, closed the throttle
and secured the engine.

Communication, continued
As the haze cleared in the back, the back
seater noticed the apparent engine flameout
and ejected. The front seater then deadsticked the aircraft into a field. Throughout this
entire sequence, not a word was spoken.

Barriers to Sending

Poor choice of words

Silence
Assumptions
Tone
Over load
Volume

Barriers to Listening

Boredom
Complacency
Distractions
Impatience
Anger

Feedback

Ask for clarification until you understand

Acknowledge
Restate
Confirm
Observe
Question
Disagree
Answer

Double Check When You Hear . . .

Probably
Possibly
I think so
I hope so
Maybe
Should

Internal Barriers to Communication

Rank
Attitude
Choice of words
Misinterpretation
Hearback

Hear what you want to hear or are expecting

Mixing/switching numbers 200-220, 120,210

External Barriers to Communications

High noise
Uncomfortable temperatures
High workload
Uncertain of policies/procedures
Unable to see the other person

Resources

Internal in the cockpit during flight

External outside of the cockpit during flight

Workload Management

Plan
Prepare
Prioritize

Overload

Compare

Situational Awareness

An accurate perception of the operational

and environmental factors which affect the
aircraft, pilot, and passengers during a
specific period of time.

Fixating on one thing

Complacency

ADM Works!

United Flight 232

Captain Al Haynes

We had 103 Years of flying experience in that

cockpit . . . but not one minute of that 103 years
had been spent operating an airplane the way we
were trying to fly it. If we had not worked
together, with everybody coming up with ideas
and discussing what we should do next and how
we were going to do it, I do not think we would
have made it to Sioux City.