Human Factors In Modern Aviation Safety - Term Paper Example

HUMAN FACTORS IN AVIATION SAFETY Abstract It is ironical yet absolutely imperative that the very human element which has led to the genesis of the pedigree of aviation history, replete with its innovations and inventions in design, engineering and manufacturing wonders, should also exit to the oblivion if the aviation safety is to be proclaimed as consummately out of endangered species today.. The reasons attributed or surrounding this unfortunate human element is multi-faceted as far as its implications with respect to aviation safety are concerned. It can be as diverse as the attitude of the person involved to his vulnerable skill sets or perhaps the fact that a vantage point sometimes becomes an Achilles’ tendon for similar purposes, albeit at different points in time. The proposed paper examines more closely the different human elements involved in the endangerment of aviation safety and the possible rational outlooks which can preclude the human interference altogether. Introduction The quest for protecting man from the harmful effects of his own creations has spurred an evolutionary process in almost all fields, disciplines, industries and practices today. It is none the more starkly evident in the field of aviation safety than in any other industry, not because of the mystic appeal of flying as such but more because of the inherent dangers should an untoward happening occur in midair or anywhere in the air or vacuum for that matter. It beholds the life and collective property of invariably a larger section of mankind, invested for the upliftment of their own living standards and hence the assigned significance and topmost priority. For quite sometime now there has been a series of flights to outer space, both manned and unmanned. While most of them have been successful both in the mission objectives and the survival itself, there have been rather bizarre incidents of catastrophic damage both to the soul and shelf of mankind. The long term culprit of course is none other than the human factor although reliance on luck or favor of GOD is an outward solicitation reserved for the last few miserable seconds of unseen or untold accidents. So what is this human factor all about in aviation safety and how far its role or the non-existence of a role can help make aviation safety devoid of the rampant loss of life and property, should a mishap occur in the first place. Various aspects of aviation safety including machinery, testing, design, research, personality, psychology and the lot are taken a close look with an objective of arriving at some rational conclusion to this daunting yet as large as life itself predicament. Basic Human Factors in Aviation Safety Some of the salient human factors which influence or impact aviation safety quite significantly are the human mind or the psyche itself, the chink in the armor design issues, the operational complexities, the encounter with the environmental conditions, decision making, impropriety in the establishment, implementation or regulation of safety standards and guidelines again within the ambit of a human element, metabolism under high altitudes, legal or law of the land, social, economical and ethnic issues which plague different sections of the human population today. A major threat to the aviation industry today is terrorism which is beyond all the factors considered so far but yet a human element dictating terms for the very survival of the industry and one which can also be perceived as a social or socio-economic or even an ethnic problem. Let us examine one by one the innate difficulties that crop up in each one of these perceived human factors and look for a rational approach to resolving the issue for the sake of an unhindered future to aviation safety. The Human Mind According to Rao (2000), The Mind – Turbulent and Tranquil, man’s mind is like a monkey which can leap from the bulkiest trunk of a tree to its leanest twigs in a matter of few seconds and yet be conscious of its survival instincts. It is only when the interaction with an external factor fails, which could once again be a human element or any other environmental object or behavior which plays spoilsport and introduces the human error resulting in infliction of damage to self and the co-habitants. A relevant example in aviation safety is the frequent encounter with angular acceleration which can send a chiller through anybody’s spines least of all being the pilot who is manning the flight. Also the availability of a resolute mind rid of spiritual entanglements and desire for providence to come to the rescue of every ensuing disaster is yet another vital factor in protecting the safety of aviation. Here there is no significant role to be played by rocket science or physical factoids; it is just sheer capacitance or incapacitance to deal with the spur of the moment which matters more than anything else. Figure1. The poster-child accident arguing against low-level maneuvering occurred February 3, 1998, when a U.S. Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler like the one pictured at left severed a cable supporting a ski gondola near Cavalese, Italy. The gondola operator and 19 skiers were killed; the crew survived to face criminal charges. The cable ranged from 364 to 370 feet above ground level. Source: Aviation Magazine. The Design Element Perfections in science have wrought an impeccable advancement in design technology and all due compliment go to the creator. At the same time even the most stringent of quality measures including such high standards as Six Sigma cannot ensure a safe passage for some of the toughest missions in aviation. The fabrication of materials, construction and engineering designs of aviation parts and spares are so mind boggling in its inherent structural complexity that a small slur is bound to defeat the most profound attention of even the expert of technicians. Compounding the problem further is the real-time behavior of the strength of materials which carry the overhead of aging with unaccountable time and other environmental real-time conditions which are invariably though not intentionally overlooked under experimental or simulation testing, A direct example of this is the accident met by the manned mission of the space shuttle Challenger. To quote another example is the general suspicion revolving around the size of turbines used for engine – Are the new compact ones much safer? According to Gregory Tavis, the new gas turbines replacing the older reciprocating piston engine are one of the prime causes of GA’s poor accident rate and will no way contribute to their improvement if the market pays heed to their pumping of the former turbines into the inventories. Figure 2. Innodyne Turbines is probably the leader in developing GA-sized turboprop engines like the one pictured above. So far, its offerings are for Experimental aircraft only. Source: Aviation Magazine. The Operational Complexities It is the ground control which is directly responsible for the maneuver of aircrafts on the runway and taxis it to safety. If at any point of time this misfires due to an egregious blunder by the ground staff it can result in a mishap of alarming proportions. Weather conditions can further compound the problem due to poor visibility of the projected signals and directions accorded by the ground staff and people manning the ground traffic control station. Figure 3. The 222-hour pilot of this Beech Travelair encountered a gust on short final. Corrective action failed to prevent loss of control and serious damage to the airplane. Source: Aviation Magazine. Metabolism at High Altitudes It is very important to retain oxygen as you go higher up in the sky otherwise you have to face the sometimes fatalistic consequences of excessive hypoxia. Every pilot worth his mien knows this right from the beginning of the training and yet if gross violation does occur or negligence seeps into the regular monitoring procedures then the effect will be very haunting. Some of the leading aviation clinics are emphasizing this aspect of aviation safety and undertaking training programs outlining the importance of necessary high altitude requisites. Few pilots if any actually have so far experienced the detrimental effects owing to deprivation of oxygen. Figure 4. The altitude chamber at Andrews AFB, Md. Source: Aviation Magazine. Law of the Land Implications The government and the aviation department of individual nations have to co-operate and pass the right resolutions in the parliaments for the sake of upholding aviation safety and not indulge in bureaucratic wrangles. This especially when the bone of contention is the removal of human element and it is the human think tank which has to decide on this issue. It is not overstated to say that FARs (Federal Acquisition Regulations) seem to be written for FAAs (Federal Aviation Authority) lawyers more than any passenger or pilot of the aircraft. Most of the rules are very cryptic and it is only after you have reached advanced level in the study and practice of the system certain basic concepts and rules begin to become clearer. In this case how do you expect the aviation safety to be sustained under a rather tenuous and tardy understanding of the various rules and regulations. Other problems that ensue from stringent measures against airspace violations are flying along a constrained path with a consistent fear of overstepping the boundary of no fly zones etc. Social, Economical and Ethnic Considerations Bottleneck in revenue generation, religious intolerance and the ensuing human demoralization are other human factors which endanger aviation safety. For example ban on people of nations traveling to each other’s country may bring about a fall in the generation of sufficient revenue to promote continuous and conscious awareness of aviation safety measures, standards and regulations hampering its set objectives and expected outcomes. Similarly religious differences between communities may give rise to proliferation of miscreants and unwanted unscrupulous elements that may nourish wanton pleasure in overriding the stipulations of aviation society putting at risk the entire populace and the associated expensive infrastructure. In the name of terror even giant capitalistic juggernauts like the US and UK was found reeling under the carpet during the 9/11 catastrophe and its aftermath. No amount of technological advancement and security measures can thwart a manic terrorist pursuing annihilation of the human order. The Lockerbie bombing incident is yet another strong rejoinder to this specific category of undeterred human factor endangering aviation safety. Glimpses of Mishaps Seven astronauts were killed when the space shuttle Columbia broke apart and burned up while re-entering Earth’s atmosphere on February 1, 2003. The cause of accident was again a human factor attributed to lack of comprehensive testing of fabricated materials which caused the left wing and the heat resistant tile structure to suddenly catch fire and induce the nasty explosion. The regression testing methods that the team had to rigorously follow was apparently not carried out in full compliance leading to this most unfortunate accident. Twenty one people and captain of the Manchester United Football team were killed when an airliner bringing them back home from Belgrade overshot the runway by about 300 yards and hit a building before exploding into flames incinerating the occupants. Before the flight took off the pilot had serious concerns with the engine of the aircraft but was somehow convinced after consultation with a ground staff and approved the decision to take-off. A glaring human error of judging the propriety of the situation has led to this mishap. The Tenerife air disaster wherein two jumbo 747s collided resulting in a massive death toll of nearly 573 people was reported in the year 1977 near Canary Islands in Spain. The cause of the accident was an abject act of terrorism and the jittery decisions which were taken in the aftermath of a nearby bomb explosion. Safety guidelines were grossly violated under the circumstances which led to the gruesome incident. Causes of Accidents There are several reasons for the unexplainable and sometimes unimaginable manner in which accidents occur. It could be due to malfunctioning of the engine or any associated parts, incorrect operational system functioning, adverse weather or air traffic conflicts and beyond all the most lethal of them that due to terrorism. Acts of GOD such as bird and lightning strikes or the indisposition of crew also contribute in good measure to the possible causes of accidents. However it is the human error which is most often cited as the frequent cause of accidents and hence sufficient redemption measures are to be put in place to plug this gaping problem. It is also observed that the most hazardous stages of a flight are those in which the aircraft is close to the ground: i.e. take-off, initial climb, final approach and landing. It is estimated that about 70% of the accidents take place in these stages alone but again they are also the stages where the human survival factor is maximum. Yet another predominant cause of error is the controlled flight into the terrain which might apparently lead to either flying too low or on the wrong path altogether. Design and Operation Safety Implications The complexity of the components of an aircraft and the quality of material used in the construction of those components pose a stiff challenge to their compliance with modern safety standards. From time to time modifications are being made both in test and design to improve safety considerations and implement recommendations by expert safety standards committees. Sufficient fuel has to be carried on-board to accommodate any possible diversions and circumlocutions while still making it possible to land after a few sorties. Also now a special safety standard called EROPS is being followed for maximizing the time an aircraft can fly over water. This is to increase the efficiency of the aircrafts and steps like consistently increasing this time duration are being envisaged to maintain highest standards of safety that is possible. Also technological advancements are being incorporated to improve the crashworthiness of an aircraft. Some of them include water system to suppress the rage of fire, energy absorbing seats and seat belts, fuels with low flammability, and dedicated smoke hoods for passengers and better access to emergency exits. Sometimes the same innovations meant to buck up safety standards come in the way of its objectives and is inevitable. After the September 11, 2001 incident in which terrorists with malicious and lethal intentions brought down the twin tower by colliding successively two aircrafts against them the government took stern measures to cap this human factor in the quest of quelling the terror it had unleashed. Stringent methods of improving safety through enhanced passenger \ baggage checks and that of the staff prior to boarding the aircraft were brought into implementation. Also ways of reducing the threat of interference with cockpit operations, as well as protecting in-flight personnel were mulled. Human Intervention Initially the focus of precluding human errors centered on the flight crew workloads but now gradually it has been extended to cover other ground staff, cabin staff and passengers. It is very vital for the cabin staff to monitor constantly the passenger behavior especially during untoward incidents for their safe evacuation with the least of damages, if any. Also with increasing capacity of huge aircrafts safe evacuation of passengers are a nightmare within the short bandwidth of time that is available. However the cabin and flight crew are well trained by simulation exercises and in the methods of emergency handling and evacuations. Economic Considerations While it is an acknowledged fact that safety is expensive and it is directly reflected in the passenger fares, it is almost inevitable to ignore or compromise aviation safety for purely economic reasons. However attempts have been made in the past to measure the economic value of lives against costs of safety but it has led to more debatable issues and contentions than an organized resolution. Especially in regions like Europe the considerations are relative so that sometimes technological advancements are skipped by a generation for deriving the desirable scales of economy. Ten Best Practices in Airline Safety 1. Fly on Non-stop routings 2. Usage of Larger Aircrafts 3. Pay attention to the Pre-flight briefing 4. Keep the overhead storage bin rid of heavy articles. 5. Keep your seat belts fastened while you are seated. 6. Listen to the flight attendants. 7. Don’t bring any hazardous material. 8. Let the flight attend pour your hot drinks. 9. Keep your wits about you. 10. Don’t drink too much. Conclusion It has been established rather firmly and unambiguously that human factor in aviation safety is a significant issue which cannot be ignored or treated with an attitude of submissiveness. Although the multifarious nature of the human factor in endangering aviation safety is a stifling challenge to overcoming its disastrous consequences a combined strategy of removal of the human element to the maximum is the need of the hour as has been outlined above in various ways and considerations. References 1. http://www.Airsafe.com 2. http://www.aviationsafetymagazine.com 3. Hopkin, David V. & Hopkin, Hopkin V., Sep 5 1995, Human Factors in Air Traffic Control. 4. Howe, Dennis Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2006.. 5. Maurino, Daniel E; Reason, James; Johnston, Neil; Lee, Rob B Beyond Aviation Human Factors – Safety in High Technology Systems Aldershot, United Kingdom: Avebury Aviation, 1995. 6. Rao, Venkoba A; The Mind – Turbulent and Tranquil 2000, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bhavan’s Book University, 7. Viellette, Pat; Copyright 2002. Aviation Safety, Belvoir Publications Read More