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

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 Decision-making Process

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

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 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

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 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

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 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
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 Risk

Flight activities where accidents are most

likely to occur

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 When do aviation accidents happen?

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

Takeoff/initial climb, Approach, Landing
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 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

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 Stressors

Three categories
Physical stress
Physiological stress
Psychological stress

Personal checklist

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 Stress

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 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

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 Hazardous Attitudes

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 Communication

Sending
Listening
Feedback

Good ATC radio procedures help

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 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.

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 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.

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 Communication, continued

As the haze cleared in the back, the back

seater noticed the apparent engine flameout
and ejected. The front seater then dead-
sticked the aircraft into a field. Throughout this
entire sequence, not a word was spoken.

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 Barriers to Sending

Poor choice of words

Silence
Assumptions
Tone
Over load
Volume

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 Barriers to Listening

Boredom
Complacency
Distractions
Impatience
Anger

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 Feedback

Ask for clarification until you understand

Acknowledge
Restate
Confirm
Observe
Question
Disagree
Answer
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 Double Check When You Hear . . .

Probably
Possibly
I think so
I hope so
Maybe
Should

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 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

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 External Barriers to Communications

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

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 Resources

Internal in the cockpit during flight

External outside of the cockpit during flight

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 Workload Management

Plan
Prepare
Prioritize

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 Overload

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 Compare

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 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

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 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.
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