Human Factors Flashcards
Spatial orientation depends upon . . . . . receptors.
a.visual
b.vestibular
c.proprioceptive
d.all of the above
D
A final approach over a flat terrain with an upsloping runway may produce the visual illusion of?
A Higher approach, if you believe it and descend you may get to close to ground and cause an accident
A final approach over a flat terrain with a downsloping runway may produce the visual illusion of?
A low altitude approach. If you believe this illusion you might overshoot the runway
A final approach over an upsloping terrain with a flat runway may produce the visual illusion of?
High altitude final approach. You may be too low
A final approach over a downsloping terrain with a flat runway may produce the visual illusion that?
The aircraft is lower than it is. You might land a lot farther down the runway than intended.
A final approach to an unusually narrow runway or an unusually long runway may produce the visual illusion of?
Higher altitude approach. You might undershoot the runway
A final approach to an unusually wide runway may produce the visual illusion of?
lower altitude, may result in missed approach
What is a black hole approach?
It involves approaching a runway under conditions with no lights before the runway environment and with city lights or rising terrain beyond the runway.
• These conditions may produce the visual illusion of a high altitude final approach.
What is an autokinetic illusion?
- Gives you the impression that a stationary object is moving in front of the aircraft’s path.
- Cause from fixating on a single point of light on a dark featureless background
- can cause misconception that the light will collide with your aircraft
What visual illusions can rain on the windscreen cause?
- can make you think you’re higher than you are
- runway may appear shorter
- things appear farther away
- approach lights appear lower
- in general you seem higher and farther away
What is a vection illusion?
If an object in your peripheral starts moving you may feel like you’re moving instead.
What is a white out?
weather condition that causes disorientation and low visibility by snow, overcast cloud and fog. Horizon disappears and you can become disoriented
The vestibular organ is also known as the organ of ____ , it is located in the ____ ____
Equilibrium, inner ear
The semicircular canals detect what?
They are the equivalent of ___ ____
Each plane of the semicircular canals corresponds to what 3 motions?
- changes in angular acceleration
- 3 gyroscopes
- pitch, roll, yaw
Both the ______ canals and the _____ organs provide information to the brain regarding our body’s position and movement.
Semicircular, otolith
A pilot who enters a spin will initially have a sensation of spinning in the_____ direction. If the spin continues the pilot will have the sensation that the spin is _____.
a.Same, decreasing
b.Opposite, decreasing
c.Same, in the opposite direction
d.Opposite, in the opposite direction
A
During a graveyard spin the pilot must:
a.Trust the instruments (TC,ASI,ALT,VSI).
b.Trust his / her sensations.
c.Utilize the opposite recovery technique to that of a conventional spin.
d.Utilize the spiral dive recovery technique.
A
A “Graveyard Spiral” is often caused following:
A prolonged bank that lasts greater than 20 seconds in duration.
Which illusion is most likely to occur while tilting your head down to check a chart during a turn?
Coriolis illusion
Suddenly slowing down without outside references may cause the pilot to feel like the airplane is
a.pitching down.
b.pitching up.
c.turning.
d.flying upside down.
A
A steep ascent followed by a return to level flight, in a high performance aircraft, may cause the pilot to think he is?
Inverted
What is the most common illusion during flight?
The leans
What are the leans?
Caused by a sudden return to level flight following a gradual and prolonged turn that went unnoticed by the pilot.
What feeling does a pilot with the leans get when they level the wings?
Feeling of banking turn in the opposite direction
What is a graveyard spiral?
Occurs when a pilot enters a prolonged banked turn for more than 20 seconds which gives the feeling of the aircraft no longer turning, in attempt to correct they level the wings which gives feeling of right turn and they will compensate by turning left again and losing altitude
What is the coriolis illusion?
sudden tilting (forward or backwards) of the pilot’s head while the aircraft is turning.
Can happen while tilting your head down to look at chart or looking up at instruments, and can cause pilot to quickly become disoriented and lose control
What are the three somatogravic illusions?
How are they caused?
What are the two organs relating to this?
- Inversion illusion
- head up illusion
- head down illusion
- Inversion cause by steep ascent in high performance aircraft followed by a sudden return to level flight causing pilot to believe they are inverted.
- head up caused by sudden acceleration in level flight causing pilot to believe nose is pitching up.
- head down cause by sudden deceleration in level flight causing pilot to believe the nose is pitching down
- the utricle and saccule organs
How to counter motion sickness?
repetitive exposure to the flying conditions that initially resulted in airsickness.
Hypoxia is a result of:
Low oxygen
The proper response to vestibular illusions are?
Scan your instruments to have reliable information you can trust
What might be the cause for severe sinus or abdominal pain?
Descending too quickly. This causes gases trapped in the body, to contract and causes above symptoms
Your passenger reports having a headache and is acting sluggish, you suspect the onset of:
Carbon monoxide poisoning
What are symptoms of hypoxia?
- Feeling of well being, euphoria
- impaired judgement
- poor coordination
- unusual fatigue
- loss of consciousness
Minor hypoxia can impair night vision and slow reaction time. True or false?
True
How does alcohol affect hypoxia?
Tolerance will rapidly deteriorate with increase of altitude.
• To avoid hypoxia, do not fly above ____ ft asl without supplemental oxygen or cabin pressurization.
10,000 feet ASL
One of the first symptoms of hypoxia at night is?
Decrease in night vision
What is dysbarism?
What can it cause?
Physical damage from this is referred to as?
What part of the body is most susceptible to this and how to counter?
- Gases trapped in the body that expand or contract in body cavities.
- severe toothaches, ear or sinus pain, abdominal pain
- barotraumas
- the ear, using valsalva technique. Swallowing, chewing gum, yawning
nitrogen bubble formation may take place above ____ ft ASL causing the bends.
8,000 ft ASL
After non-decompression dives, flights up to altitudes of 8000 ft (2 432 m) ASL should be avoided for __ hours.
• Where decompression stops have been required on returning to the surface, the interval should be __ hours.
• For flights above 8000 ft (2 432 m) ASL the interval is __ hours regardless of the type of dive.
- 12 hours
- 24 hours
- 24 hours
Due to reduced vision at night, what can help you to see objects when looking at them?
Look at things off center. Use your peripheral vision
____ is a sense or hallucination of spinning or moving even after motion has stopped.
Vertigo
When a local anesthetic is used for an extensive dental procedure, pilots should wait how long?
At least 24 hours
With spinal or general anesthetics, or with serious operations you should
Not fly until aviation doctor says it is safe
if blood has been donated the pilot should wait at least
48 hours
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?
Inability to concentrate, blurred thinking, dizziness, headache
It takes dark adaptation about ___ minutes to adjust to each new light setting.
30 minutes
What is hyperventilation?
• Hyperventilation is breathing at a faster and/or deeper rate than the body requires for good oxygenation
What are the symptoms of hyperventilation?
Shortness of breath, slight dizziness, a feeling of coldness, a sensation like a tight band around the head, and pins and needles in the hands and feet.
How to recover from hyperventilation?
Slow breathing to 10-12 breaths per minute. Do not take deep breaths. Once symptoms subside, resume normal breathing
Time of useful consciousness chart. See answer and cover right column.
20,000. 5 - 12 minutes
25,000. 2 - 3 minutes
30,000. 45 - 75 seconds
35,000. 30 - 60 seconds
40,000. 10 - 30 seconds
45,000. 12 - 15 seconds
Different sources have different times but for 50,000+. 12 or less seconds
Positive G forces can cause something called ____ ____, where the blood is unable to be pumped to the head.
• Negative G forces can result in _____, where the blood gathers in your head causing everything to have a reddish tinge.
Stagnant hypoxia
Redout
What is hypoxic hypoxia?
Symptoms?
the result of low oxygen levels in the bloodstream.
• At 8 000 ft ASL (2 440 m), some people may notice a slight increase in heart rate and speed of breathing
What is hypobaric hypoxia?
Exposure to altitude
What is anaemic hypoxia?
Symptoms
Less oxygen carried by blood cells
Symptoms include breathlessness, fatigue, or chest pain, and symptoms will worsen at higher altitudes, as the effects of hypoxia and anaemia are additive.
What is Ischaemic hypoxia / Stagnant hypoxia?
inadequate blood flow to body tissues.
What is Histotoxic Hypoxia?
inability of the cells of the body to use the oxygen available.
can occur with certain conditions such as cyanide poisoning, chemical poisoning, and intoxication with certain drugs.
• Histotoxic hypoxia can also be caused by high blood alcohol levels.
What is Empty-field myopia?
It is a condition in which eyes having nothing specific within the available visual field upon which to focus.
- very sunny over a cloud layer, desert, slow, featureless terrain or over open water bodies
What is the decision making process?
Gather, review, analyze, decide and do, evaluate
What are some factors that can influence decision making?
- convenience
- pride
- monetary gain
- skill
- knowledge
- experience
- time pressure
- stress
- attitude
Define the following:
False assumption
Expectancy
Fixation
Ignoring the bad news
High concentration
Regression
False assumption : making assumption based on false or incorrect information
Expectancy: may be prone to expecting takeoff clearance but are given a hold short instead
Fixation: focusing your attention on something while something more important goes unnoticed, ie dropping pencil while neglecting control of altitude
Ignoring bad news: get-home-itis over a bad weather report, trying to push the limits.
High concentration: tendency to make false assumptions after periods of high concentration, ie fighting through bad weather and landing in good weather but downwind.
Regression: experience on one type can be vulnerable to false assumptions by operating switches that are reversed on another type, ie throttle and mixture positions.
What is the IMSAFE checklist?
I - illness. Any symptoms?
M - meds. Been taking any prescrips?
S - stress. Financial, job, family issues?
A - alcohol. Drink last 8/24 hours?
F - fatigue. Am I rested enough?
E - emotion. Am I emotionally upset?
What are the 5 risk elements?
Pilot, aircraft, environment, operation, situation
Pilot- imsafe checklist
Aircraft- weight and balance, takeoff and landing performance, crosswinds, walk around
Environment- weather, landing areas
Operation- interaction of pilot, aircraft and the environment, ie an air ambulance mission might assess risk differently than a pleasure flight.
What are the 5 hazardous attitudes while flying? Give an example of each and how to fix the attitude.
Anti authority: don’t like to be told what to do, brush off roles and procedures as silly or unnecessary. Fix : follow the rules, they are usually right.
Impulsivity: do something, quickly. People feel they need to act immediately and do the first thing that comes to mind instead of the best thing. Fix: not so fast, think first
Invulnerability: it won’t happen to me. Pilots who think this are likely to take chances and unnecessary risks. Fix: tell yourself, it can happen to me.
Macho: I can do it. Trying to prove they are better or impress others. Fix; tell yourself, taking chances is foolish
Resignation: what’s the use. Some do not see themselves as making a great deal of difference in what happens to them. They may leave actions to others for better or worse, or go along with unreasonable requests. Fix: tell yourself, I’m not helpless and can make a difference.
A pilot attempts a flight where the crosswinds are well above their previous experience and loses control during the landing. This is an example of
a.impulsivity.
b.invulnerability.
c.anti-authority.
d.resignation.
B
A mechanic is doing a run-up on an engine on a confined ramp next to some other aircrafts. The mechanic chooses not to chock the aircraft despite it being part of their standard operating procedures. While the mechanic has their head down looking at the gauges, they don’t realize that they are moving and end up rolling into a plane next to them. This is an example of:
a.Anti-authority
b.Impulsivity
c.Resignation
d.Laziness
A
When an emergency happens during flight it is imperative that the pilot
Remain calm
A low-time pilot decides to go flying after a long day at work. While on short final they feel the aircraft sinking rapidly, the airspeed is also low. The pilot reacts by pulling back attempting to arrest the descent and as a result cause the aircraft to stall. This pilot’s response to stress is known as
a.escape.
b.omission.
c.error.
d.regression.
C
A mechanic is tightening some bolts that have an assigned torque specification for the engine mount. Instead of looking for the required torque value, they use the same torque that they remember using on a different but similar aircraft even though the number is actually fairly different. This is an example of
a.approximation.
b.queuing.
c.fixation.
d.omission.
A
A student pilot who has been taught how to handle a balloon recovery goes out on their first solo. It just so happens that during the flare a gust picks the plane up and the student panics, freezing at the controls. This is an example of a reaction to stress known as
a.tremor.
b.regression.
c.escape.
d.approximation.
C
A mechanic is checking the tire pressure on four main tires of an aircraft as part of routine maintenance. A phone call interrupts them prior to the final tire and they miss checking this tire. This is an example of
a.omission.
b.error.
c.queuing.
d.fixation.
A
A pilot with many hours of experience may feel that they do not require training before flying a new type of aircraft. They are likely to fall victim to
a.loss of situational awareness.
b.high concentration.
c.regression.
d.overload.
C
A mechanic is using a chemical to help remove exhaust stains on an aircraft wing. While the stains are coming off well so is some of the paint… the mechanic is already partway through the job so they continue despite the apparent degradation of the paint job on the aircraft. This attitude can be categorized under which of the following?
a.Fixation
b.Expectancy
c.Ignoring the bad news
d.High concentration
C
Which of the following decision making factors affected the pilot in the situation described below.
The pilot encounters deteriorating weather just short of their destination and decides to continue despite conditions that are less than VFR. The pilot is not instrument rated and is anxious to arrive at their destination considering they have nearly made it.
a.Experience and training
b.Skill
c.Risk assessment
d.Ignoring the bad news
D
Which of the following decision making factors played the most significant role in the situation described below.
A multi-engine Seneca overtakes a Piper Cub on a final approach and descends into its path.
a.Reasoning
b.Situational Awareness
c.Stress
d.Skill
B
What are some common responses to stress?
Omission - falling to respond to a warning light, radio call
Error - respond incorrectly
Queuing - delaying a task because of workload
Approximation - accepting a lower standard of accuracy and performance
Fixation - concentrating on one thing while ignoring another
Regression - reverting to an earlier procedure or action
Tremor - trembling or shaking caused by increased muscle tension
Escape - giving up, panic, freezing at the controls
When is official night?
The end of evening civil twilight to the beginning of morning civil twilight
What are the recency requirements for carrying passengers at night?
5 takeoff and landing within the last 6 months, and a serviceable landing light.
Fuel reserve for helicopters day and night?
20 minutes
At night colour vision becomes deteriorated
a.due to the inability of our eye’s cone cells to discriminate between colours.
b.due to the inability of our eye’s rod cells to discriminate between colours.
c.due to the central positioning of rod cells from the fovea.
d.is false.
B
When flying in uncontrolled airspace above 1 000 feet AGL during the night the visibility requirements for VFR flights are
a.5 SM.
b.3 SM.
c.2 SM.
d.1 SM.
B
