Why are human conditions such as fatigue, complacency, and stress so important in aviation? These conditions, along with many others, are called human factors. Human factors directly cause or contribute to many aviation accidents and have been documented as a primary contributor in more than 70 percent of aircraft accidents.
Typically, human factor incidents and accidents are associated with flight operations, but they have also become a major concern in aviation maintenance and air traffic management. [Figure 1]
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| Figure 1. Human factors effects pilots, aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs) and air traffic control (ATC) |
Over the past several years, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has made the study and research of human factors a top priority by working closely with engineers, pilots, mechanics, and air traffic controllers (ATC). The goal is to apply the latest knowledge about human factors to help operators and maintainers improve safety and efficiency in their daily operations.
Human factors science, also known as human factors technology, is a multidisciplinary field that incorporates contributions from psychology, engineering, industrial design, statistics, operations research, and anthropometry. It focuses on understanding human capabilities and limitations and applying that knowledge to the design, development, and operation of systems and services.
Human factors also involve ensuring the successful application of human factor principles throughout aviation, including pilots, ATC personnel, and aviation maintenance technicians.
Human factors are often considered synonymous with crew resource management (CRM) or maintenance resource management (MRM), but the field is much broader in both scope and knowledge base. Human factors research examines how humans perform in specific situations such as flight operations, maintenance tasks, stress management, and decision-making.
The information gained from this research is applied to the design of tools, machines, systems, tasks, jobs, and work environments to improve safety, comfort, efficiency, and human performance. The entire aviation community benefits from human factors research and development because it helps improve the way people interact with aircraft systems and operational environments while enhancing overall aviation safety.
What percentage of aviation accidents are attributed to human factors?
Are human factors limited strictly to the actions of pilots in flight?
How does human factors science differ from CRM or MRM training?
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