Aviation Human Factors Essay

Introduction

Aviation Human factors are the human activities that are aimed at improving the safety standards in a plane. The human knowledge is used to fix the systems so that minimal human errors would result into an accident. This paper seeks to discuss a case study of an aviation accident where there were primary and secondary human factors that resulted into the accident taking place. The paper will also look into pilot training, organizational culture, organizational rules and policies, ergonomics and aircraft design limitations when doing this analysis.

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A Case Study

TransAsia 235 plane accident is one of the accidents that was caused a result of pilot error. This accident occurred in Kelung River in the year 2015. Just minutes after the ake off, the pilot reported a flame out. The pilot had flown the engine 1500 feet above the ground and then he mistakenly stopped the work out engine. This is a case of a human factor being the primary factor in causing an aviation accident because the pilot did not send the aviation.

After the investigations, one of the factors that was blamed toh ave caused the accident was lack of proper pilot training. In this case, the pilots were lacking in cockpit management and and flight planning ( Jansen, 2016); a direct result of inappropriate training.

Organizational way of carrion out aviation practices, rules and practices are also essential in prevention of aviation accidents that are caused by human factors. This plane was being flown under the organization TransAsia Airways. It was reported that despite the set rules by the Taiwan Aviation Safety Council reported the pilots did not correctly do the programming of one of the turboprop engines ; ATR 72-600 before taking off. This is the end affected the thrust with which the plane would have been climbing the away from the airport. It is important that organizations that control flights, be able to set rules and regulations. More importantly, these regulations need to be enforced to prevent such accidents.

The plane design and structure is also important in facilitating or preventing the aviation accidents. Airplane provisions are such that they should be assisting in preventing aviation accidents. In our case study, TransAsia 235 was engine designed such that was technically able to provide the power to the plane. Additionally, the plane was also capable of using just one engine to fly. The pilot should have used these provisions to prevent the accident as well. However there can be cases where there could be design limitations and which an accident can occur as a result of such limitations.

In addition to the pilot training, aviation practices and rules and the plane design limitations, ergonomics is another factor that could influence whether we can have an aviation accident. The people working around a flight need to be fully efficient so as to prevent any such cases caused by the human factors.

Conclusion

Human factors can lead to aviation accidents. A combination of improper pilot training, poor ways of enforcing aviation rules and regulations, limitations in the design of the plane, all of which are human factors, can result into an aviation accident. Industries should embrace change that can result into the safest means of transportation by producing highly competent pilots and mrpoving the effectiveness of all other human factors to minimize the causes of error that result into accidents (Helmreich & Foushee 1993)

References

Helmreich, R. L., & Foushee, H. C. (1993). Why crew resource management? Empirical and theoretical bases of human factors training in aviation. In E. L. Wiener, B. G. Kanki, & R. L. Helmreich (Eds.), Cockpit resource management (pp. 3-45). San Diego, CA, US: Academic Press.

Jansen B ( 30th June 2016). TransAsia pilots blamed for fatal Taiwan crash.*USA Today* retrieved on 24th April 2018 from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/06/30/transasia-pilots-blamed-fatal-taiwan-crash/86561460/