Human Errors: Keep It To a Minimum

Course Learning Outcome 3:

Categorize the types of human factors that are causal factors in aircraft accidents and assess the effectiveness of what is being accomplished to reduce human error.

There have been many advancements in technology that assist us in reducing human error. For instance, most of us have owned or at the very least seen vehicles outfitted with automatic safety belts. That is, as soon as the door closes, the safety belt mechanism automatically moves into the proper position to secure the driver or his passenger while in the vehicle. This reduces the chance that the driver or the passenger will forget to buckle his seat belt, thus minimizing human error. Although measures to automate are being practiced throughout the aviation industry, it would be too expensive to apply this type of solution to every situation.

There are five main causal factors for errors. The first is referred to as the error of omission, or failure to perform a task when required. A good example is not removing "REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT" streamers prior to takeoff. The second is known as the error of commission, or performing tasks when not required, for instance, deploying landing gear while at cruising altitude. The third error occurs when a task is performed incorrectly, known as the error of substitution. Shutting down the wrong engine during an in-flight maintenance check is a perfect example. Errors also occur when tasks are performed out of sequence. Skipping or reversing the the steps in a pre-flight checklist would qualify as this type of error. The final error is late performance, such as not braking in time and overshooting the runway.

There are two basic strategies used to combat human errors-engineering and administrative. The example I used earlier regarding the automation of safety belts in vehicles falls in this category. Along with automation, improvements to existing hardware and software designs are implemented to minimize the potential for human error through engineering. Administrative measures are not considered to be as effective or as permanent as engineering solutions, but it definitely has its place in error reduction. Employee selection and training, standard operating procedures and company management practices are prime examples of administrative solutions.

The operation of aircraft will perpetually involve humans and their potential to err. Even so, I firmly believe that with proper leadership, combined with appropriate engineering and administrative solutions, the aviation industry can improve upon its reputation as being one of the safest modes of transportation.