Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Aviation

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Human Factors in

Aviation Maintenance

Dennis A. Vincenzi, Ph.D.

ERAU Worldwide

• Aircraft Accidents and Aviation Maintenance
• Brief History of HF in Aviation Maintenance
• The PEAR (People, Environment, Actions, and

Resources) Model

• HF in Aviation Maintenance according to the

FAA

• The Dirty Dozen of Aviation Maintenance
• Examples of Maintenance Related Accidents
• Wrap up

Overview

80% of aircraft accidents are related to

human factors

15% to 18% of aircraft accidents are

associated with some sort of maintenance

related issue

Cost?

Time

Money

Company Reputation

Human Lives

Aircraft Accidents

• The scientific discipline concerned with the

understanding of interactions among

humans and other elements of a system.

• The overarching goal of Human Factors is to

optimize human well-being (safety) and

overall system performance (the

relationship between the human and

machine).

Human

Factors Defined

HF in Maintenance is relatively new

Began as a formal interest around 1988

• Aloha Flight 243 - April 28, 1988 – 1 fatality; 65 injured
• Most agree that this accident was the beginning of HF in Aviation Maintenance
• Fatigue and corrosion cracks visible by passengers boarding the aircraft
• All agree that this accident was preventable

Brief History of HF

in Aviation Maintenance

HF in aviation maintenance has resulted in a

number of worthy initiatives that act as

guides and aids in identifying and raising

awareness about sources of human error

The People-Environment-Actions-Resources

(PEAR) Model

HF Operations Manual by the FAA

The Dirty Dozen in Aviation Maintenance

And others…

Since Aloha Flight

243 …

People

Physical, Physiological, Psychological, and Psychosocial aspects of people

The PEAR Model

Environment

Physical and Organizational aspects of the environment

The PEAR Model

Resources

Procedures, tech manuals, equipment training, tools All the things needed to perform the activity and support the processes, procedures, policies, and regulations surrounding that activity Many of the other components of the PEAR model are dependent upon available resources

The PEAR Model

• Human Factors deals with anything that has

an effect on humans

• FAA Human Factors Operator’s Manual

14

HF in Aviation Maintenance FAA Style

• Adapted from The Operator’s Manual for Human Factors in Maintenance and Ground Operations, 2014

• Why is it important?
  • To prevent operational problems
  • Increase operational safety
  • One more measure to break the chain of potential latent events

Hazard Identification

• Adapted from Shuichi Yoshida 2 nd^ International Quality Symposium, 1989

• Procedures
  • Designed by humans and intended to be followed
  • Maintenance, inspection, checklists
  • Designed to enhance safety and reduce human error
  • Other “procedures” may be dependent on policies, and policy violations can affect how other procedures are followed:
  • For example…
    • Policy violations on rest requirements for pilots can result in serious errors, fatigue, complacency, decision making, etc.
  • Developing a “Just Culture” for procedure compliance is essential in any maintenance environment
  • Don’t just deviate from procedure – if you see a better way to do something, go through the process to get the procedure looked at and officially approved!

Procedure Compliance

• Fatigue is a crippling factor
  • Fatigue can occur as a result of one long event (awake for 16 or 20 hours) or over a period of weeks or months of sleep deprivation ( hours per night instead of 8 hours per night)
• Results in
  • Impaired judgement
  • Impaired communication skills
  • Decreased attention and information recall
  • Slower reaction times
  • Increased risk taking
  • Poor overall performance!
• FRM enables maintenance organizations to:
  • Detect and identify fatigue symptoms and hazards
  • Assess associated safety and health risks
  • Implement fatigue countermeasures
  • Determine what is effective to mitigate fatigue

Fatigue and Risk

Management (FRM)

• Concerned with long term health and safety
• LMEC – Latent Medical or Environmental Conditions
  • Physiological limitations experienced by the AMT that originates from abnormal medical conditions, normal aging, and occupational exposures - Detrimental effects of operating equipment - Deleterious effects of aging - Detrimental effects of occupational exposure to aircraft, equipment, and environment
• Why HF Health and Safety Programs are Important
  • AMTs have a non-fatal occupational injury rate almost double that of general industry
  • Older workers (55 and older) represent a growing percentage of the workforce
  • Aging workforce implies changes to vision, hearing, strength and overall health
  • 27.7% of U.S. workers are considered obese

HF Health and Safety

Program