Human Factors in Soaring.

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Human Factors in Soaring.

• An Introduction.
• Mike Pascoe.

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Most accidents are due to human error.
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What we need to cover.

• Functioning of the human sensory-perceptual
  system
• Short- and long-term memory
• Influence of limitations on flying operations
• Medical/Psychological (mainly stress)
• Error and Attitudes
• Decision-making
• The poor judgement chain
• breaking the chain

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How it all fits together.
Culture, Personality attitudes
Physical
Who I am
Medical
Knowledge, ability, skill
Physiological
Psychological
Judgment Decision making
Communication
Best use of who I am - Use all resources
Man Machine Technology
Teamwork
OPTIMISE OUTCOMES
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Why the need?

• 1976 FAA commissioned study-
• All GA accidents between 1970 1974
• Non-fatal 35
• Fatal 52
• Jensen Benel

A result of POOR decision making
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Why the need?

• Study Airline and Military accidents.
• Non fatal 56
• Fatal - 52
• Diehl

Result of POOR decision making
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The response.

• Various training programs developed and applied.
  Not always rigorously scientifically evaluated
  but
• Good outcomes
• Some formal studies with good outcomes.

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What happened?

• F.A.A. Berlin, et al (1982) 17 error
  reduction
• Transport Canada Buch and Diehl (1982) 40
  error reduction
• Transport Canada Buch and Diehl (1983) 9
  error reduction
• Australian Aviation Department Telfer
• and Ashman (1986) 8 error reduction
• F.A.A. Diehl and Lester (1987) 10 error
  reduction
• U.S. Air Force Connolly and Blackwell (1987)
  46 error reduction

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What happened?

• Organisation Accident rates
• U.S. Navy helicopter crews 28 decrease
• U.S. Navy fighter-bomber crews 81 decrease
• U.S. Air Force transport crews 51 decrease

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Human factors defined
Human factors is about people in their living and
working situations about their relationship with
machines, with procedures and with the
environment about them and also their
relationships with other people both
individually and in groups. In aviation, human
factors involve a set of personal, medical and
biological considerations for optimal aircraft
and ATC operations.
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Jet transport accidents.

• Approach landing phase
• Accounts for flight exposure of 4
• Accidents in this phase 49 of all
• Flight crew error responsible for 80
• Other Human errors
• Maintenance, Dispatch ATC.

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Shell Model.
S Software H Hardware L Liveware E
Environment
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Physiology.

• How things work.

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The Mk I Human eye-ball.
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Eye Limitations.

• Blind spot natural.
• Blind spots Pilot induced.
• Gadgets IPAC, Logger etc etc.
• Movement
• Colour and contrast

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The Ear - Limitations

• Hearing.
• Vestibular
• Turning sensations

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Information processing.
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Information Processing - shortcomings

• Receptors Limitations of vision etc.
• Information processing.
• Limited amounts of info.
• Filter unwanted info
• One thing at a time
• Central Processing
• Memory (Long Short term)
• Effectors

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Information Processing - shortcomings

• Inadequate information.
• Single channel - sequential not parallel.
• Time delay 3.4 seconds.
• Mental set (Expectancy)
• Limited attention span. (Every 2 minutes)

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Time delay -

• Sensing time 1.0 sec
• Detection 0.4 sec
• Attention 0.6 sec
• Interpretation
• Decision time 2.0 sec
• Choose among alternatives
• Time increases in proportion to complexity.
• Response time 0.4 sec.
• Time to move control.

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Drugs such.

• Alcohol.
• Rapid absorption
• Elimination 20 ml/hr
• 1 beer (375 ml _at_ 5) 19 ml
• 1 wine (125 ml _at_ 12 0 15 ml
• 1 std tot spirits 25 ml _at_43) 11 ml

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Drugs such.

• Recreational drugs.
• Danger
• Alter brain function
• Duration of effects ?
• Subtle effects ?
• Long term damaging effects.
• Poorly documented in aviation.

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Drugs such.

• OTC medicines.
• Read the package insert
• Side effects
• Interactions
• Effects on brain function.

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Drugs such.

• Prescription medicines.
• Inform doctor that you want to fly.
• Read package insert as for OTC meds.
• Check list of permitted meds.
• If in doubt check with a DAME

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Stress.

• Response to stress at basic level
• Fight or Flight
• But
• This is modified by social and other factors

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Stress. Sources.

• The environment.
• Weather, noise, interpersonal demands, time
  pressure and so on.
• Physiological.
• Ageing, illness, accidents, nutrition, exercise
  and sleep etc.
• Psychological.
• Adverse positive aspects.

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Stress. Situational.

• Acute reactive stress.
• Total power failure.
• Physical stress.
• Easily tuned out
• Physiological stress.
• Lack of sleep diet etc
• Psychological stress.
• Very many e.g. frightening or frustrating
  circumstances.

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Stress.

• Life stress. On going prolonged stress.
• Constant financial disputes at home
• Problems with family children in laws etc.
• Work frustrations

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Stress.

• Coping with stress.
• Complex process
• Recognition of presence of stress.
• Resolving stressful issues.
• Exercise
• Counseling

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Judgment decision making.
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Judgment
Decision making
Self Skills Knowledge
Choice
INFORMATION Recognize Analyze Evaluate.
Decision Action
Situation
Environment (Operational)
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Judgment.

• The process used in making decisions.
• Perceptual judgment. (Distance, closure rates
  etc)
• Cognitive judgment.
• More complex.

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Judgment. Cognitive

• Uncertain information
• Time to think
• More alternatives
• Risks vs. alternatives harder to assess.
• Final decision influenced by outside factors.
• Stress, fatigue, work pressures etc.

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Decision making.

• Follows judgment and
• Results in
• ACTION.
• Actions may include-
• No action
• A particular action.
• Seeking more information.

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Decision making.

• Decision making is complex.
• Many models or theories of
• how it is done
• Element of risk
• Implies uncertainty of either
• Circumstances
• Consequences.

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DESIDE MODEL
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Other Models

• Many others
• Naturalistic Decision Making Model (ARTFUL)
• A Awareness
• R Risk assess risks of current alternate
  actions
• T Time
• F Further options.

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Decision making errors.

• Errors are what we do/commit and they happen to
  us.
• Decision making theory Cool detached and
  objective
• Wise men change their minds fools
• Violating prior commitments get home-itis

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Decision making errors. - More

• Conservatism
• Failure to revise decisions based on new data.
• Representativeness
• Base decisions on previous experiences.
• Availability
• Role of memory what is most easily remembered.

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Poor Judgment chain

• One PJ increases probability that another will
  follow
• The more PJ in sequence the greater the
  probability that more will follow.
• As PJC grows safe alternatives decrease.
• The longer the PJC the more likely is disaster.

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Breaking PJC.

• Recognize that PJ has been made.
• Own senses or external (E.g. Instructor)
• Ambiguity
• Fixation
• Confusion
• Depart SOP
• Violation of minima
• Unresolved discrepancy
• Failure to meet targets

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TRAINING AND DEVELOPED
EXPERIENCE SKILLS
SPATIAL HEALTH
AND ORIENTATION
ATTITUDE WORK
MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Situational Awareness
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Last words.

• Human factors
• Understand better why you do what you do.
• Predict behavior in a given situation.
• Control your behavior to minimize risk.