Human Factors in Accident Reports

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The focus as of the last ten years, see figure 2 with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, has shown that simplification is the way forward due to many human factors issues that have been addressed in past accident reports. Cockpits of aircraft since the 1950s have grown over crowed with immense amount of gauges in the SR-71 (figure 2) being a great example. The only time a pilot would reference many of the gauges at their disposal would be during a flight emergency otherwise they would just perform a quick scan and go about their mission. The glass cockpit was the answer in the last forty years as seen in the Boeing 777, the F117 stealth fighter, and the Shuttle Atlantis (National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA], 2000). Glass cockpits feature liquid crystal displays that can be used to display multiple gauges and avionics screens that enable the user to customize the layout to their liking. According to Lane Wallace, a NASA author, states that a glass cockpit is a series of “displays that could process the raw aircraft system and flight data into an integrated, easily understood picture of the aircraft situation, position and progress, not only in horizontal and vertical dimensions, but with regard to time and speed, as well” (NASA, 2000). Large aircraft are not the only ones to utilize glass cockpits. Cessna, Piper, and Hawker Beechcraft among others began using glass cockpit designs between 2002 and 2003. According to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (as cited in NTSB, 2010b), “by 2006 more than 90 percent of new piston-powered, light airplanes were equipped with full glass cockpit displays”. Glass cockpits had never been studied for safety factors until the NTSB began asking questions in 2010... ... middle of paper ... ... Human error: models and management. British Medical Journal, 320(7237), 768-770. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Salas, E., Fowlkes, J. E., Stout, R. J., Milanovich, D., & Prince, C. (1999). Does CRM training improve teamwork skills in the cockpit?: Two evaluation studies. Human Factors, 41(2), 326. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com Salas, E. & Maurino, D. (2010). Human factors in aviation (2nd ed.). Bridgewater, NJ: Academic Press/Elsevier Skybrary. (2013, November 25) Crew Resource Management. Retrieved from http://www.skybrary.aero U.S. Department of the Interior. (2009). Human factors in aviation mishaps. AMD-35 Department of Interior Aviation Lessons Learned. Doi: 09-02. Retrieved http://oas.doi.gov Vitaterna, M.H., Takashashi, J.S., & Turek, F.W. (n.d). Overview of circadian rhythms. Retrieved from http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov

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