This document summarizes several key human factors that can affect performance in aviation, including fatigue, training, distraction, ergonomics, attitude, communication, complacency, stress, and drugs/alcohol. It discusses how these factors can impact pilots, flight attendants, and maintenance personnel. Countermeasures are proposed, such as regulations on work hours, crew resource management training, and substance abuse policies. Specific incidents are analyzed, like the crash of KAL Flight 801 due to pilot fatigue, and the role of conformity in the Air Florida crash. The importance of managing human factors for safe airline operations is emphasized.

1. Overview of Factors affecting
performance in Aviation
Human Factors Presentation____________________________

2. Overview of Factors
- Fatigue
- Training
- Distraction
- Ergonomics
- Attitude to Safety
- Communication
- Norm
- Complacency
- Stress
- Drugs & Alcohol
………… and other factorsand other factors
Belle
Dickson
Maria
Bertha

3. Airline Operations
The Occupations
 PilotsPilots
 Flight attendantsFlight attendants
 Maintenance personnelMaintenance personnel
The performance of the above occupations
are critical for the safe operations in airlines

4. SHEL model
Software e.g. checkliste.g. checklist
Hardware e.g. gaugese.g. gauges
Environment e.g. weathere.g. weather
Liveware e.g. colleaguee.g. colleague

5. A negative biological influencer which interfered human’s
performance by generating confusion and slow
response.
Symptoms:
- Slower reaction time
- Lower vigilance and cognitive ability
- Loss of short term memory and sustained attention
- Inaction in Mental arithmetic and Word generation
Sources:
- Inadequate rest
- Excessive physical activity
- Stress
- Jet lag

6. Impact
Case
The crash of KAL Flight 801 in Guam on 6 Aug 97. 228 / 254 dead

7. One of the causes – Fatigue!
- The Captain’s normal sleeping pattern was disturbed by
the trip to Guam.
Cockpit Voice Recordings
1520:01 Capt: they make us work to maximum and up to maximum.
1520:28 Capt: probably, this way. Hotel expense will be saved for
cabin crews, and maximise the flight hours. Anyway,
they make us (B747) classic guys work to maximum.
1521:13 Capt : eh….really ….sleepy..
1521:15 F/O : of course.
Source: NTSB report CFIT Korean Air 801, Guam

8. Countermeasures
How ?
 Work shift
- Staffs can rest between each shift.
 Training
- Skill-based training and Physical training.
 Regulations
- Restriction on working hours.

9.  Quality of sleep / rest ( on-board crew rest areas)

10. “An attitude is a disposition to respond in a
certain way” (Hawkins, 2002)
Symptoms of poor attitude to safety
- By-passing standard procedure
- Risk-taking & Feeling of Invulnerability
“It won’t happen to me”
- Conformity (not speaking up despite problem)
Sources:
- Complacency / Overconfidence
- Anti-authority
- Personality
- Conflict between commercial interest and flight safety

11. Conformity – Air Florida crash 1982Conformity – Air Florida crash 1982
Example – Cockpit Voice RecordingsExample – Cockpit Voice Recordings
 15:59:58 F/O: God, look at that thing.15:59:58 F/O: God, look at that thing. That don't seem right, does it?That don't seem right, does it?
Uh, that's not right.Uh, that's not right.
 16:00:09 Capt:16:00:09 Capt: Yes it isYes it is, there's 80 (knots)., there's 80 (knots).
 16:00:10 F/O:16:00:10 F/O: Na, I don't think that's right.Na, I don't think that's right. Ah, maybe it isAh, maybe it is..
 16:00:21 Capt: 120(knots)16:00:21 Capt: 120(knots)
 16:00:23 F/O:16:00:23 F/O: I don't know…I don't know…
After this, the aircraft stalled and crashed…After this, the aircraft stalled and crashed…
Source: Air Disaster vol. 2 by Macarthur Job

12. Impacts
Pilot
- Making decisions that jeopardises safety
- attempting to land in bad weather
(China Airlines MD-11 in Hong Kong, Delta Airlines Tristar in Dallas)
- letting an unauthorised person to occupy the command seat with control of
an aircraft (Aeroflot A310 crash, 1994)
Flight Attendants
- Ignoring problems (e.g. passenger smells smoke)
Maintenance Engineer
- Omission (to meet deadlines)
- Faulty repairs (using un-certified parts)

13. Countermeasures
How ?
 Crew Resource Management & Training
- improve crew to crew relations (liveware – liveware),
decision making in situations (liveware – environment
- e.g. develop disciplined ethics of work, following check-
lists (liveware – software)
 Improve Airline Safety Culture
- e.g. more emphasis on safety

14. - Body’s reaction to changing environment
- excites you and increases alertness

15. - Causes of stress
 Stress is mainly caused by events occurring in you
lifestyle or job.
examples
Organization Career Development Personal/Family
• too much/little work
• time pressure
• Change procedures
• Long hours
• time spent away
• boredom with role
• over promotion
• job loss
• financial problems
• re lationships
• ill health
• birth, marriage

16. Symptoms
SHORT TERM
Physical Symptoms
 faster heart beat, increased sweating,
cool skin, nausea, tense
Performance Effects
 obstructs clear judgement
 Loss of precision when completing tasks
 prevents high quality work
 Frustration

17. Symptoms
LONG TERM
Physical Symptoms
 Health deteriorates
 Behaviour changes
Performance effects
 Can’t think clearly and rationally
 Leads to: Fatigue and Exhaustion,
Depression, Breakdown

18. PILOT
 Flying is hours of boredom scattered with moments of
total panic.
FLIGHT ATTENDANT
 emergency landing - limited time given to react and
enforce a solution to a possible fatal scenario.
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL
 maintenance work is required to be completely quickly
and accurately.

19. - How to manage factor?
Six steps to successfully manage stress
1. Identify sources of stress
2. Discuss problems with a friend, counsellor or
psychologist
3. Formulate strategies to cope.
4. Maintain a balanced workload
5. Exercise, eat well and sleep
6. Take regular opportunities to relax
“What’s important is not the source of stress, but how you as an
individual choose to respond to it.”
(Qantas Flight Safety Issue 2 Autumn 2000)

20. Alcoholism: person having the habit of
consuming alcohol very often and in large
amounts.
Drug Abuse: the use of a drug for pleasure, or
to improve a person’s performance of an activity
(Cambridge Dictionary)

21. Symptoms:
Alcohol
 “hangover”- headache, gastrointestinal upset and
general feelings of ill-health. (Newman, 2004)
Drugs
 drowsiness
 dizziness
 Blurred vision
 Confusion
 depression

22. Examples:
 Alcohol
 Drugs
 medicine
(e.g. anti-biotic)
 illegal substance
(e.g. cannabis)
!!!>>>>!!!>>>>

23. Alcohol Drug
- Information processing
- memory
- verbal skills
- reaction times
- attention
- perception
- reasoning tasks
- increase in heart rate, body
temperature and appetite
- respiratory problems
- lung-damage
- cancer
- memory and concentration
impairments
- possible motivational
syndrome

24. Threat to flight safety
 In 1977, a Japan Airlines DC8 crashed in Alaska
and the pilot was subsequently found to have a
BAC of 0.021%.
 About 0.06% of pilots and air traffic controllers
have a confirmed positive drug test (FAA)

25. Countermeasures:
 Safety Management System
 “No alcohol in the system when you fly”
The Air Regulations require that a pilot allow at
least 12 hours between the consumption of
alcohol and piloting an aircraft.
Substance abuse is discouraged at all
levels!!!

26. Conclusion
 wide range of factors
 Good management of HF = reduction of negative effect
on performance
 Applies to most areas of airline operations

27. References
 ReferencesAuthor (unknown), 1998, ‘How to Master Stress, Mind Tools Ltd, United
Kingdom’, viewed on 18th April 2005,http://www.psychwww.com/mtsite/smpage.html
 Author (unknown), 2003, ‘Stress Management’, Georgia reproductive specialists,
viewed on 24th April 2005, <http://www.ivf.com/stress.html>
 Civil Aviation Safety Authority, 2004, ‘Air Operation Certification Manual section 7.28’,
Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Australia, viewed 3rd may 2005,
http://www.casa.gov.au/manuals/regulate/aocm/011r0728.pdf
 Department of Transport of Canada, 2004,’Human Performance factors of elementary
work and servicing’, Department of Transport of Canada, Canada, viewed 3 May 2005,
<
http://www.tc.gc.ca/CIVILaviation/maintenance/AARPE/HumanPerformance/menu.htm
>
 Graeber, C (published date: unknown),’The Role of Human Factors’, The Boeing
Company, USA, viewed 28 April 2005, <
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_08/human_story.html >
 Mattison, P May 2005, ‘Stress’, FAA Aviation News, Atlanta, USA, viewed on 24th April
2005, <http://www.iflyamerica.org/stress.htm>

28. Newman, D.G., “Alcohol and Human Performance from an Aviation Perspective: A Review”,
March 2004, Australian Transport Safety Bureau, viewed 29 March 2005,
<http://www.atsb.gov.au/aviation/research/alcohol.pdf>
Richmond R L, 2005, ‘The Psychology of stress’, A Guide to Psychology and its Practice,
San Francisco, USA, viewed on 18th April 2005,
<http://www.guidetopsychology.com/stress.htm>
Rosekind, M. R., Neri, D. F., Miller, D. L., Gregory, K. B., Webbon, L. L., Oyung, R. L. 1997,
‘Crew Fatigue Research Focusing on Developmental and Use of Effective
Countermeasures’, International Civil Aviation Organization Journal vol. 52, pp. 20 – 22, cited
in NASA Human Factors Ames Research Center, USA, viewed 5 May 2005,
<http://human-factors.arc.nasa.gov/zteam/fcp/pubs/ICAO.journal.html>
Strauss, S (published date: unknown),’ Pilot Fatigue’, NASA Johnson Space Center,
Houston, Texas, USA, viewed 20 April 2005, http://www.aviationcrm.com/Pilot_Fatigue.htm
Books
Gradwell, D., Green, R.G, R.L, James, M., Muir, H., 1999, Human Factors for Pilots, 2nd
edition, Ashgate Publishing Limited, England.
Hawkins, F (2nd Edition), 1993, Human Factors in Flight, Aldershot, UK, Ashgate Publishing.
Koonce, J, M, 2001, Human Factors in the Training of Pilots, Taylor and Francis, London.