Human Factors: Enhancing Pilot Performance

Description

Today’s aviation industry enjoys a remarkable safety record, primarily because it has learned from the mistakes of its past. Through the study of aviation accidents, most of the risks of flying have been identified and the threats they pose to safety can be managed. However, aircraft accidents, such as controlled flight into terrain, loss of control, runway excursions and incursions, and midair collisions still occur, and the hazards of flight remain. Some accidents happen due to mechanical failure, improper maintenance, or hazardous weather—but the vast majority are caused by pilot action (or inaction). Pilots can commit errors and make decisions that lead to tragic outcomes. Most accidents are not intentional; inadvertent errors made by flight crews arise from normal human physiological, psychological, and psychosocial limitations. Drawing upon the latest scientific research, aviation safety studies, and accident findings, Human Factors: Enhancing Pilot Performance thoroughly explores the nature of these human limitations and how they affect flight. Most importantly, this book provides best practice countermeasures designed to help pilots minimize their influence on flight performance. Whether you are a fair-weather private pilot, a new-hire first officer at a regional airline, or a seasoned pilot with thousands of hours under your belt, Human Factors will help you understand why pilots make mistakes and arm you with the knowledge to successfully identify, avoid, and mitigate them. Copyright Table of Contents Foreword Acknowledgments About the Author Introduction PART I - The Human in the Cockpit 1. Is flying safe? (The Aviation Record) 2. To err is human. (Flight Crew Error) 3. What’s a human factor? (Aviation Human Factors) PART II - Physiological Aspect of Flight Crew Performance 4. How high can I fly? (Hypoxia and Hyperventilation) 5. You must pass that gas—either fore or aft. (Trapped and Evolved Gases) 6. I can’t see a thing! (Vision) 7. Say again? (Hearing and Noise) 8. Do you want to be an aerobatic pilot? (Accelerations in Flight) 9. Which way is up? (Spatial Disorientation) 10. Why am I so tired? (Fatigue on the Flight Deck) 11. Am I fit to fly? (Health Maintenance and Lifestyle) PART III - Psychological Aspects of Flight Crew Performance 12. Seeing is deceiving. (Visual Perception) 13. Did you say “gear up” or “cheer up”? (Auditory Perception) 14. Why can’t you just pay attention? (Attention, Vigilance, and Monitoring) 15. What’s it doing now? (Flight Deck Design and Automation) 16. Don’t forget to remember. (Memory) 17. Decisions, decisions, decisions. (Decision Making) 18. Who’s flying my airplane anyway? (Social Influence) PART IV - Risk Management 19. Working together. (Crew Resource Management) 20. Managing the risks. (Threat and Error Management) APPENDICES Appendix A: Abbreviations and Acronyms Used in This Bool Appendix B: Aviation Occurrence Categories Appendix C: Glossary Index of Aircraft Accidents and Notable Incidents Index