Human Factors in Aviation blog 5.3

    Human factors in aviation are the relationships between people, their activities, the environment and equipment. Human factors are relative points in which human error can dictate circumstances within the field of aviation. Above is a picture in what is known as the "dirty dozen" which is relative to which there are areas of concern for "human factors" within aviation. 

    One of the biggest team based challenges that are involved within aviation is ATC (Air Traffic Control). Air traffic controllers have one of the most stressful jobs in the world. Air traffic controllers maintain the flow of aircraft in and out of airports as well as manage flight plans, approve clearances for takeoff, and direct movement of traffic on the airport. Prior to even becoming an air traffic controller, they must undergo extensive amounts of training to reduce the risk of mishap. Some of the biggest human factors that are in effect in the tower are stress, lack of communication, pressure, lack of assertiveness, distraction and fatigue. Any of which are dangerous enough to create a fog or cloud of judgement within the airspace that could ultimately end in a mishap.

    This teamwork also further extends from the crews in the control tower to the pilots and teams on the ground. Without effective communication and cooperation there are a number of human factors that could cause substantial risk involved in coming into and out of airports. In a number of after action reports written by the NTSB you can find substantial numbers of human factors involved in accidents. Unfortunatley if we never made mistakes, we would never be able to improve and implement contingencies that allow us to improve on these items.

Reference:

NBAA. (2021, August 19). Human factors: NBAA - national business aviation association. NBAA: National Business Aviation Association. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://nbaa.org/aircraft-operations/safety/human-factors/

Svensson, &A., Ohlander, U., & Lundberg, J. (2019, July 2). Design implications for teamwork in ATC - Cognition, Technology & Work. SpringerLink. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10111-019-00579-y#:~:text=In%20air%20traffic%20control%20(ATC,sky%20and%20on%20the%20ground.