ASCI 202 Blog 5-3: Team-Based Human Factors

 When I think of human factors in aviation, it always makes me think back to the study question of "What percentage of aviation accidents is Human Error?" To me, human factors are how people do their jobs. There is a social aspect, communication, team-work, and technical knowledge that hopefully pairs nicely with good decision making. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA, n.d.) defines aviation human factors as a discipline that focuses on co-workers relationships and activities through the application of human sciences and system engineering. For this blog, the focus will be on team-work, or crew resource management (CRM), within the cockpit of an airplane.

Image Retrieved from https://vivekjois.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/officer-and-captain-in-cockpit_airasia-travel-3sixty.jpg?w=640

Operating a commercial aircraft is no easy task. Pilots and crews must be physically and mentally sharp and receive accurate and appropriate technical training. They are entrusted with the safety of thousands of human lives daily across the globe. If the aircraft crew does not understand each other, know what is expected of them, trust the abilities and knowledge of each other, and communicate well, there is increased risk during the flight. I am not a pilot but I am involved in the aviation community as an air traffic controller. From experience, I greatly disliked working beside some of my coworkers but we could never let personal grudges interfere with professional work.

I recently flew roundtrip from Florida to Texas and something happened on the flight that caught my attention. We encountered some pretty rough air and the pilot turned the seatbelt sign on and said to remain in your seats and buckled, including the crew. A few moments later, a flight attendant walked down the aisle. The pilot again over the intercom said to sit down and buckle up and that goes for everyone, in a strong tone. I thought of the many things going through the crew's mind. Pilots probably complaining that the flight attendants are not listening and are not siting down as told. Flight attendants probably complaining that the pilots are over bearing and possibly over reacting. Maybe they felt it was a "green" pilot and that they have many more years of flight experience. Maybe the pilots and crew were lacking some trust among each other causing tension. I felt like a kid watching parents politely argue and fight because they just were not on the same page.

I am sure I am not the only passenger that saw this but CRM is important and without understanding and combating common human factors errors in aviation, statistically, there will be a high risk of an incident. Communication and a professional trust is crucial to active CRM. I am not sure what was going on with the crew or pilots, but I feel some strong communication was needed to better understand each other and get on the same page before the next flight. 

Luke

Word Count: 474

Resources

FAA (n.d.). 8.1 Introduction to Aviation Human Factors. Word Doc. Retrieved on August 4, 2021, from https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/cami/library/online_libraries/aerospace_medicine/tutorial/media/II.8.1_Introduction_to_Aviation_Human_Factors.doc#:~:text=Aviation%20Human%20Factors%20%2F%20Aviation%20Ergonomics,the%20framework%20of%20system%20engineering.

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