aviation psychology Flashcards
what are the several areas of interest for HF in aviation
pilots - optimise performance in cockpit, no margin for error
ATC - high stress, errors can cost lives
aircraft maintenance - important for safety but high source of mistakes
aviation screening - only as secure as weakest link, 9/11, etc.
what do humans interact with in the aviation system
environment - storms, turbulence
equipment - landing gear
tasks - prepare for take-off and landing
other humans - ATC, engineers and co-pilot
what are the benefits of human behaviour prediction in aviation
- predicting how a pilot reacts to a reading can reduce error, and instruments need to be interpretable
- predict how a maintenance technician will behave when given instructions
- predicting how well a security officer will detect a threat
how are aviation accidents classified
pilot related -> improper action or lack off
mechanical -> failure of mechanical component or errors
unknown -> include causes such as pilot incapacitation, undetermined accident.
what are the three categorisation of pilot error
-> procedural tasks - management within aircraft, retracting landing gear instead of wing flaps
-> perceptual motor tasks - includes manipulating flight controls
-> decisional tasks - includes flight planning, errors can include failing delegation of tasks.
what is the SHELL model fro aviation
software - rules, procedures, written documents
hardware - aircraft, ATC tower, computers, controls
environment - the situation in which the L-H-S systems must function
liveware - the human beings working in aviation and their interactions with the systems
a mismatch between liveware and other component contributes to human error.
give an example of why switch design (hardware) is important
(1996 Australian A-430)
- in December the crew noticed a minor fuel imbalance
- required action -> open four fuel cross fed valves in the
overhead panel to enable fuel to correct th eimabalnce. - adjacent to these are four engine drive hydraulic pumps.
- the pilot placed his finger on the correct fuel switch but a message appearing distracted him and he then accidentally pressed wrong one
- pressure dropped and nose pulled up.
what is the Swiss cheese model of accident causation
- latent failures are decisions which lie dormant until revealed by active failures.
- organisational influences include cost cutting, poor communication
- preconditions for unsafe acts - loss of SA, poor crew resource management
case study: Kobe Bryants helicopter crash
- pilot made a series of poor decisions which led him to fly blindly into a wall of clouds where he became disorientated
- he ignored his training and violated rules.
- the pilot may have felt a continuation bias which is an unconscious tendency among pilots to stick to the original plan.
what is situational awareness
SA is the perception of the elements in the env. within a volume of time and space.
appreciating what needs to be known
elements:
- extracting env. info
- integrating info relevant for internal knowledge
- using the picture to direct further perceptual exploration in a cycle
- anticipating events
outline the importance of SA
- Hartel, smith & prince 1991 - stated that loss of situational awareness is the leading cause of mishap in a review of 175 aviation accidents.
discuss HF in aviation security
- this plays an important role in aircraft safety
- aircrafts have been targets for terrorists for a long time
- 9/11 attacks resulted from a failure of aviation security
what are issues with threat detection
- many threats are not what is seen in daily life - IED
- some threats look harmless such as a pen knife that resembles a pen.
- unusual viewpoint makes it hard to recognise.
what is computer based training
CBT addresses issues, and uses a database to detect threats from many viewpoints
what is Threat image Projection (TIP)
Tip allows projecting fictional threat items on x-ray images of real passenger bags while screening them in airport security.
discuss HF in aircraft maintenance
- safety relies heavily on maintenance, when incorrect it contributes to many aircraft accidents.
- examples are incorrectly installed parts, missing parts, and necessary check undone.
what are the 5 error types in aircraft maintenance
memory lapses 24% - juggling tasks
work-around 23% - missing equipemnt for task completion
SA 18% - starts work without accurate picture
expertise 10% - lack the knowledge to do all aspects of their job
action slips 9% - someone does something unintentionally
what are the causes of error in ATC
33% communication errors result in runway transgressions
ATC need to emphasise to pilots when issuing clearance if something changes.
stress can lead to tunnel vision, aircrafts need to be scanned in a consistent manner to ensure one isn’t forgotten.
49% of altitude deviations were due to ATC giving too many instructions in a single transmission.
case study: Boeing 737 max, MCAS training
federal aviation administration (FAA) determined that pilots could fly 737-max 8 jets without further training.
pilots were given a manual, lion air cockpit found that in a losing battle pilots were flicking through the manual.
pilots had no idea the MCAS existed, which helps to balance out the plane, this organisational let down causing a lack of training saved them money but impacted lives.
outline and discuss the keg worth crash
British midland Boeing 737-400 crashed on the M1 after attempting to last at East Midlands airport.
a fan blade broke and the pilot switched off the remaining working engine as the lack of retraining didn’t tell them the buttons and ventilation had changed.
after the crash HF specialist got involved and organised returning for all pilots on this new model on Boeing 737.
