Los Rodeos Runway Collision

The Los Rodeos runway collision remains the worst accident in aviation history, hopefully forever, with 583 fatalities. This accident was a clear example of the relevance of human factors in aviation. Stress, decision-making errors, communication problems between pilot, controller and crew, lack of situational awareness, and organizational management issues in the cockpit were contributing factors.

Cali b757 Terrain Crash

The Cali B757 terrain crash was the first accident of a B757. By that time, it was the only airliner that had not had fatal accidents, along with the Concorde. It made clear how human interaction with automated systems in aviation required further improvements, and provided new design opportunities of human-computer collaboration. The accident in Cali had the following contributing factors: lack of situational awareness due to poor information, interaction problems with automated systems, human dependency on automation, work load when manipulating automated systems, and usability issues of critical systems.

German Midair Collision

But if those examples are not enough, we could remember the midair collision in Ueberlingen, Germany in 2002. A DHL cargo B757 collided with a Bashkirian Airlines Tupolev 154 at 35,000 feet. They were the only two aircraft in the controlled sector by Zurich ACC. How could this be possible? This time the controller was not overloaded, and the pilot did not misunderstand his instructions. However, problems with divided attention, high degree of trust in automation systems, macroergonomic issues (shift organization), differences on training due to cultural differences, and decision-making in critical situations were the decisive factors.

It's Not All About Accidents

Similarly, by reviewing other accidents, we will see other areas to apply human factors. But human factor isn't only about preventing accidents. According to International Civil Organization Association (ICAO), human factor in aviation hopes to help achieve the aviation system goals of safe and efficient transportation of passengers and cargo. Efficiency should not be forgotten, and again, the human being is the key. The approach to aviation systems design, and in general to any system, should be comprehensive. It should integrate technical, human and procedural systems to deliver the desired system performance. The result will be a system that reinforces human capabilities, mitigates human limitations, and fulfils human needs.

Human factors will be always an issue in aviation, as long as pilots control aircraft, and air-traffic controllers are in charge of aircraft separation. Even in the case of unmanned vehicles, in free-flight airspace, human operators will monitor the traffic situation and intervene for maintenance. Human factors will be there. There are so many things to understand, so many things to solve, and so many designs to improve. We have such a huge field to explore!

Answer the questions.

1. Why are safety, aviation and Human factors closely related?

2. What were the main cause of accidents in the early years?

3. Why is human error the primary factor in up to 80 percent of the cases?

4. What is the best way to understand the Human factors of the aviation world?

5. Name the most contributing factors in aviation accidents.

6. What can you say about the midair collision in Germany in 2002?

7. What does Human factors in aviation hope to help?

8. Why should comprehensive be the approach to aviation systems design?

9. Why will Human factors be always an issue in aviation?

10. How are Human Factors problems solved?