ABSTRACT
The study aimed at investigating the impact of an innovative Wake Vortex Alert (WVA) avionics on pilots' operation and mental states, intending to improve aviation safety by mitigating the risks associated with wake vortex encounters (WVEs). Wake vortices, generated by jet aircraft, pose a significant hazard to trailing or crossing aircrafts. Despite existing separation rules, incidents involving WVEs continue to occur, especially affecting smaller aircrafts like business jets, resulting in aircraft upsets and occasional cabin injuries. To address these challenges, the study focused on developing and validating an alert system that can be presented to air traffic controllers, enabling them to warn flight crews. This empowers the flight crews to either avoid the wake vortex or secure the cabin to prevent injuries. The research employed a multidimensional approach including an analysis of human performance and human factors (HF) issues to determine the potential impact of the alert on pilots' roles, tasks, and mental states. It also utilizes Human Assurance Levels (HALs) to evaluate the necessary human factors support based on the safety criticality of the new system. Realistic flight simulations were conducted to collect data of pilots' behavioural, subjective and neurophysiological responses during WVEs. The data allowed for an objective evaluation of the WVA impact on pilots' operation, behaviour and mental states (mental workload, stress levels and arousal). In particular, the results highlighted the effectiveness of the alert system in facilitating pilots' preparation, awareness and crew resource management (CRM). The results also highlighted the importance of avionics able to enhance aviation safety and reducing risks associated with wake vortex encounters. In particular, we demonstrated how providing timely information and improving situational awareness, the WVA will minimize the occurrence of WVEs and contribute to safer aviation operations.
Subject(s)
Aircraft , Aviation , Pilots , Reflex, Startle , Humans , Male , Reflex, Startle/physiology , Adult , Accidents, Aviation/prevention & control , Female , Safety , Young AdultABSTRACT
This article provides an overview of the mental health challenges faced by pilots and air traffic controllers (ATCs), whose stressful professional lives may negatively impact global flight safety and security. The adverse effects of mental health disorders on their flight performance pose a particular safety risk, especially in sudden unexpected startle situations. Therefore, the early detection, prediction and prevention of mental health deterioration in pilots and ATCs, particularly among those at high risk, are crucial to minimize potential air crash incidents caused by human factors. Recent research in artificial intelligence (AI) demonstrates the potential of machine and deep learning, edge and cloud computing, virtual reality and wearable multimodal physiological sensors for monitoring and predicting mental health disorders. Longitudinal monitoring and analysis of pilots' and ATCs physiological, cognitive and behavioral states could help predict individuals at risk of undisclosed or emerging mental health disorders. Utilizing AI tools and methodologies to identify and select these individuals for preventive mental health training and interventions could be a promising and effective approach to preventing potential air crash accidents attributed to human factors and related mental health problems. Based on these insights, the article advocates for the design of a multidisciplinary mental healthcare ecosystem in modern aviation using AI tools and technologies, to foster more efficient and effective mental health management, thereby enhancing flight safety and security standards. This proposed ecosystem requires the collaboration of multidisciplinary experts, including psychologists, neuroscientists, physiologists, psychiatrists, etc. to address these challenges in modern aviation.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Aviation , Artificial Intelligence , Aviation , Pilots , Humans , Accidents, Aviation/prevention & control , Mental Health , Safety , Mental Disorders/prevention & control , Mental Disorders/therapyABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Although an unintended aircraft landing on water (referred to as ditching) is a rare event, the potential for occupant injury/fatality increases immediately following the event due to adverse conditions. However, to date, few studies have addressed the subject. Herein, ditching events and post-ditching survival were investigated.METHODS: Ditchings (1982-2022) in the United States were identified from the National Transportation Safety Board database. Occupant injury severity, aircraft type, pilot experience, flight conditions, and number of occupants were extracted. Poisson distribution, the Chi-squared test (2-tailed), Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance were employed.RESULTS: A total of 96 ditchings were identified. A systematic survey was hampered by the lack of a standardized reporting matrix in the reports. In total, 77 reports were included in the analysis. Across all ditchings, 128 of 169 (76%) occupants survived ditching and were rescued. Importantly, the initial ditching event was survived by 95% of all occupants. However, 32 (19%) occupants died post-ditching by drowning (21/32 cases) or for undetermined reasons. Considering probability per ditching event, in 26 (34%) of all ditchings, one or more occupants was/were fatally injured.DISCUSSION: Initial survival of the emergency ditching is high. Drowning was the leading cause of death after ditching and reduced the overall survival to 76%. Further investigation is needed to identify risk factors for fatal outcomes and/or improve probability of survival after ditching.Schick VC, Boyd DD, Hippler C, Hinkelbein J. Survival after ditching in motorized aircraft, 1989-2022. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2024; 95(5):254-258.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Aviation , Aircraft , Humans , Accidents, Aviation/mortality , Accidents, Aviation/statistics & numerical data , United States/epidemiology , Drowning/mortality , Male , Databases, Factual , Pilots/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Agricultural aircraft operations are associated with unique challenges. In particular, these include maintaining awareness of obstacles associated with flight at very low altitudes. Wire strikes are a common cause of accidents in these operations.METHODS: Focus groups were completed during the 2022 Ag Aviation Expo hosted by the National Agricultural Aviation Association with pilots who had experienced wire-strike events (N = 22). The researchers coded the transcripts using a human factors framework.RESULTS: Notably, unplanned "trim passes" were a key stage of flight during wire-strike events. Cognitive risk factors that may have affected their performance included situation awareness, decision-making choices, and pressure to perform. Over half of subjects reported being aware of the wire before collision. Possible prevention strategies include not spraying the field due to safety risks, paying better attention to where they were in the field, and avoiding deviation from the planned route.DISCUSSION: Wire-strike events often occur due to momentary lapses in attention, even when the pilot is already aware of the wire. This study shows that targeted approaches to prevent wire strikes in agricultural aviation operations require addressing a number of cognitive risks and human factors, rather than implementing increased preflight surveillance. These results have implications for preventing future wire-strike accidents based directly on pilot perceptions, both within agricultural operations and general aviation more broadly.Baumgartner HM, DiDomenica R, Hu PT, Thomas S. Pilot perceptions of wire strikes in agricultural aviation operations. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2024; 95(6):305-312.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Aviation , Agriculture , Focus Groups , Pilots , Humans , Pilots/psychology , Agriculture/instrumentation , Male , Accidents, Aviation/prevention & control , Adult , Female , Middle Aged , Aviation , Perception , Risk Factors , AircraftABSTRACT
In risk and safety assessments of aviation systems, engineers generally pay more attention to the risks of hardware or software failure and focus less on the risks caused by human errors. In this paper, a (FRAHE) method is proposed for identifying this critical error type and determining the risk severity of human errors. This method accounts for the human error probability as well as the impacts of human errors on the system. The fuzzy inference approach is employed in this paper to address the uncertainty and issues of imprecision that arise from insufficient information and scarce error data and a risk assessment model of human error is developed. The model can be used to precisely describe the relationship between the output risk severity and the input risk indicators, including the human error probability, the error impact probability, and the human error consequence. A case study of the approach task is presented to demonstrate the availability and reasonability of the model. The risk-based modeling method can not only provide valuable information for reducing the occurrence of critical errors but also be used to conduct prospective analyses to prevent unsafe incidents or aviation accidents.
Subject(s)
Aviation , Humans , Risk Assessment/methods , Accidents, Aviation/prevention & control , Accidents, Aviation/statistics & numerical data , Safety , Models, Theoretical , Fuzzy LogicABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Continuing flight into adverse weather remains a significant problem in general aviation (GA) safety. A variety of experiential, cognitive, and motivational factors have been suggested as explanations. Previous research has shown that adverse weather accidents occur further into planned flights than other types of accident, suggesting that previous investment of time and effort might be a contributing factor. The aim of this study was to experimentally determine the effect of prior commitment on general aviation pilots' decision-making and risk-taking in simulated VFR flights. METHOD: Thirty-six licensed pilots 'flew' two simulated flights designed to simulate an encounter with deteriorating coastal weather and a developing extensive cloud base underneath the aircraft as it crossed a mountain range. After making a decision to continue or discontinue the flight, pilots completed a range of risk perception, risk taking, and situational awareness measures. RESULTS: Visual flight rules were violated in 42% of the flights. Prior commitment, in terms of distance already flown, led to an increased tendency to continue the flight into adverse weather in the coastal 'scud running' scenario. Continuing pilots perceived the risks differently and showed greater risk tolerance than others. These 'bolder' pilots also tended to be more active and better qualified than the others. CONCLUSIONS: There are undoubtedly multiple factors underlying any individual decision to continue or discontinue a flight. The willingness to tolerate a higher level of risk seems to be one such factor. This willingness can increase with time invested in the flight and also seems to be related to individual flight qualifications and experience. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: All pilots might benefit from carefully structured simulator sessions designed to safely teach practical risk management strategies with clear and immediate feedback.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Aviation , Aviation , Humans , Accidents, Aviation/prevention & control , Decision Making , Weather , AircraftABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Work-related stress is common in pilots, with broad implications, including the potential development of mental health symptoms and sometimes even psychiatric disease. This commentary argues for the use of narrative as a tool to promote preventive health behaviors in pilots and combat misinformation about aeromedical certification related to mental health.Hoffman WR, McNeil M, Tvaryanas A. The untapped potential of narrative as a tool in aviation mental health and certification. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2024; 95(3):165-166.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Aviation , Aerospace Medicine , Aviation , Humans , Accidents, Aviation/prevention & control , Mental Health , CertificationABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Health-related factors can impact aviation safety. This study investigated the published, historical aviation accidents that have been investigated by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to understand medical conditions and medication use that have been determined to be causal to mishaps.METHODS: A two-part approach was adopted for this study: 1) a scoping review was conducted to provide an overview of the current medical literature addressing medical factors and flight safety; and 2) a comprehensive review of aviation accident reports from the NTSB database from January 2013 to October 2022.RESULTS: The literature review demonstrated that psychiatric, cardiovascular, and neurological medications were the major categories of medications reported in fatal aircraft accidents. Age was not found to be a risk factor. Review of the NTSB database demonstrated that, among 15,654 mishaps, medical factors were associated in 703 (4.5%) accidents. NTSB data showed that cardiovascular (1.3%), psychiatric (0.23%), and endocrine diseases (0.17%) were the most commonly reported diseases among pilots. In accident reports, cardiovascular medications (1.49%), sedating antihistamines (0.91%), and alcohol (0.70%) were the most commonly used medications at the time of the accidents.DISCUSSION: Health-related factors were a small yet likely underestimated proportion of the factors associated with accidents. Cardiovascular diseases and treatment were the most important factors. It is important to continue to investigate the association between health-related factors and the commission of mishaps.Zhu Y, Wolf ME, Alsibai RA, Abbas AS, Alsawaf Y, Saadi S, Farah MH, Wang Z, Murad MH. Health-related factors among pilots in aviation accidents. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2024; 95(2):79-83.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Aviation , Aviation , Cardiovascular Diseases , Nitrobenzoates , Humans , Databases, FactualSubject(s)
Accidents, Aviation , Aviation , Humans , Advisory Committees , Accidents, Aviation/prevention & controlABSTRACT
The problem of flight safety and aviation injury were considered, data on aviation accidents in Civil aviation were shown, the main causes of aviation accidents were presented: technical failure, difficult meteorological conditions, deficiencies in flight organization and «human factor¼. The conditional classification of aviation injury was presented. Detection of primary injuries is especially important for aeromedicine (head impact on dashboard, bone fracture at the ankle, «loss of vital space¼, laceration between 1st and 2nd fingers from the control wheel), that determine the pattern of pilots' actions in an emergency situation. A three-link flight medical support system was remained to prevent flying under the influence of alcohol, drugs and psychoactive substances. The Department of Aerospace Medicine developed the algorithm of pilots' examination suspected of using toxic substances. The materials of pilot's psychological examination after an aviation accident in the state of posttraumatic stress disorder are presented.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Aviation , Fractures, Bone , Humans , Algorithms , Ethanol , FingersABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Wire strikes and in-air collisions with obstacles are a leading cause of accidents in the aerial application industry. While some of these collisions occur due to unseen obstacles, some pilots report being previously aware of the obstacles that they collide with. Whether or not pilots are aware of obstacles pre-collision is an important factor to inform methods of accident prevention.METHODS: Final reports from the National Transportation Safety Board were analyzed for Part 137 Agricultural Operation accidents that took place between January 2020 and December 2022. A deeper analysis of cases that involved an in-air collision with an obstacle was performed, excluding cases that were attributable to an external cause (e.g., aerodynamic stall). The pilot's awareness of the obstacle pre-accident was inferred from accident narratives if available.RESULTS: Nearly half of all accidents (N = 45 of 107) involved an in-air collision with an obstacle (e.g., wire, tree, pole) as the defining event. In cases where pilot awareness of the obstacle was determinable through the accident report, over half of pilots (N = 21 of 39) had previously seen this obstacle yet still made contact with it.DISCUSSION: In-air obstacle collisions make up a substantial portion of accidents within Part 137 Agricultural Operations. Nearly half of pilots were already aware of the obstacle before collision, indicating that inadequate preparation in scoping the field is not a predominant driver of these events. Instead, these findings suggest that other factors including distractions, high task difficulty, and errors in decision-making may contribute.Baumgartner HM. Wire strikes and in-air obstacle collisions during agricultural aviation operations. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2023; 94(11):852-856.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Aviation , Aviation , Pilots , Humans , Accident PreventionABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: General aviation (GA), mainly comprised of light (≤12,500 lb) aircraft, maintains an inferior safety record compared with air carriers. To improve safety, aeronautical decision-making (ADM) practices have been advocated to GA pilots since 1991. Herein, we determined the extent to which GA pilots disregard such practices.METHODS: Fatal accidents (1991-2019) involving private pilots (PPLs) in single-engine airplanes were identified (N = 1481) from the National Transportation Safety Board AccessR database. Of these, deficient go/no-go and in-flight ADM-related mishaps were scored using the PAVE (pilot, aircraft, environment, external pressure)/IMSAFE (illness, medicine, stress, alcohol, fatigue, eating) and PPP (perceive, process, perform) models, respectively. Statistical testing used Poisson distributions, Fisher exact tests, and Mann-Whitney U-tests.RESULTS: Of the 1481 accidents, 846 were identified as deficient ADM-related. Electing to depart into a hazardous environment (PAVE), disregarding wellness (IMSAFE), and poor aircraft familiarity (PAVE) represented the most common categories (54%, 21%, and 20%, respectively) of errant go/no-go ADM. A 64% decline in fatal accidents related to errant go/no-go decisions for the environment category was evident over the 30-yr period, with little decrements in the other domains. Within the errant environment-related category accidents, the decision to depart into forecasted adverse weather (e.g., degraded visibility, icing, thunderstorms) constituted the most prevalent subcategory (56%, N = 195). Surprisingly, of this subcategory, accidents were overrepresented by over nine- and threefold for instrument-rated PPLs disregarding icing and thunderstorm forecasts, respectively.CONCLUSION: With little decrement in ADM-related accidents in the pilot, aircraft, and external pressure domains, new strategies to address such deficiencies for PPLs are warranted.Boyd DD, Scharf MT. Deficient aeronautical decision-making contributions to fatal general aviation accidents. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2023; 94(11):807-814.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Aviation , Aviation , Pilots , Humans , Risk Factors , AircraftABSTRACT
Human factors have increasingly been the leading cause of aircraft accidents. In most cases, human factors are not working alone, instead they are coupled with complex environment, mechanical factors, physiological and psychological factors of pilots, and organizational management, all of which form a complex aviation safety system. It is vital to investigate the coupling impact of human errors to avoid the occurrence of aviation accidents. In view that the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) provides a hierarchical classification principle of human errors in aviation accidents, and the System Dynamics (SD) approach is helpful to describe the risk evolution process, this paper establishes a hybrid HFACS-SD model by employing the HFACS and the SD approach to reveal the aviation human factors risk evolution mechanism, in which the HFACS is first used to capture the causal factors of human errors risk, and a coupling SD model is then built to describe the evolution of aviation human factors risk supported by historical data. The eigenvalue elasticity analysis is taken to identify critical loops and parameters that have a substantial impact on the system structural behavior, and the influence of parameters and loops is assessed. Simulation results show that the evolution trend of the accident rate can be replicated by the proposed HFACS-SD model, and the structural dominance analysis can efficiently identify critical loops and parameters. Simulation results further show that, with the recommended safety enhancement measures, the stability of the aviation system is increased, and thus lowering the overall accident rate.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Aviation , Aviation , Humans , Accidents, Traffic , 4-Butyrolactone , Accidents, Aviation/prevention & controlABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Fatigue is a major contributor to aviation accidents. Sufficient sleep may be difficult to achieve under operational conditions in military aviation. Countermeasures include caffeine, however, studies evaluating its effects often do not represent daily practice with regular caffeine consumption. This study aims to establish the effect of caffeine on psychomotor performance in a realistic scenario (i.e., after a limited period of extended wakefulness).METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled trial included 30 aeromedically fit subjects. On trial days, subjects followed their normal routine till 17:00, after which caffeine intake was stopped. At midnight, subjects were given 300 mg of caffeine or placebo and performed the Psychomotor Vigilance Test, Vigilance and Tracking Test, and the Stanford Sleepiness Scale hourly up to 04:00 and again at 06:00 and 08:00. Four blood samples were collected. Statistical analyses included repeated-measures ANOVA or Friedman tests, marginal models, and Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests.RESULTS: Median time awake at midnight was 17 h (IQR 16.5-17.5 h). Performance decreased significantly less during the night in the caffeine condition versus placebo. Neither habitual intake nor daytime caffeine consumption affected this. No statistically significant correlation was identified between blood concentrations of caffeine and performance.DISCUSSION: A single dose of 300 mg of caffeine has beneficial effects on performance during the night in a realistic scenario for military aviation. Daytime caffeine consumption does not affect the effects of caffeine at night. These findings could be relevant for all industries in which optimal performance is required during nighttime after a limited period of extended wakefulness.Wingelaar-Jagt YQ, Wingelaar TT, de Vrijer L, Riedel WJ, Ramaekers JG. Daily caffeine intake and the effect of caffeine on pilots' performance after extended wakefulness. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2023; 94(10):750-760.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Aviation , Pilots , Humans , Caffeine/pharmacology , Wakefulness , FatigueABSTRACT
La evolución de los programas de CRM ha supuesto para la aviación un enorme progreso en cuanto al estudio de los factores humanos y su relación con la reducción de los accidentes aéreos. Si bien es cierto que los programas de CRM han sufrido una exitosa evolución desde su aparición en 1979, no lo es menos, que los avances en la ciencia psicológica de las últimas décadas hacen necesario revisar y profundizar en aspectos ya abordados en etapas anteriores por dichos programas. Uno de estos aspectos es la importancia que presentan los Tripulantes de Cabina de Pasajeros (TCP) como integrantes del equipo de vuelo. Retrotrayéndose a los programas de CRM de tercera generación, el presente artículo analiza las actuaciones que han tenido los TCP en diferentes accidentes aéreos, poniendo de manifiesto la importancia que tiene su ejecución y la coordinación de la misma con la del resto de la tripulación de cara al éxito en la resolución de la emergencia aérea.(AU)
The evolution of CRM programs has meant enormous progress for aviation in terms of the study of human factors and their relationship with the reduction of air accidents. Although it is true that CRM programs have undergone a successful evolution since their appearance in 1979, it is no less true that the advances in psychological science in recent decades make it necessary to review and expand on aspects already addressed in previous stages by these programs. One of these aspects is the importance of the cabin crew members (CCM) as members of the flight team. Going back to the third generation programs, this paper analyzes the actions that the CCM have taken in different air accidents, highlighting the importance of their performance and their coordination with the rest of the crew in order to achieve success in resolving the air emergency.(AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Program Evaluation , Aviation/education , Accidents, Aviation/psychology , Air Travel/psychologyABSTRACT
Exploiting unprecedented reductions in aircraft movements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we investigated the relationship between air traffic volume and the frequency of wildlife-aircraft collisions, or wildlife strikes, at the 50 largest airports in the United States. During the COVID-19 months of 2020 (March-December), both air traffic volume and the absolute number of wildlife strikes were reduced. The net effect of these two movements, however, was an increase in the wildlife strike rate from May 2020-September 2020. This increase was found to be most pronounced at airports with larger relative declines in air traffic volume. We concluded that the observed increase in the wildlife strike rate was, at least in part, generated by risk-enhancing changes in wildlife abundance and behavior within the airport environment. That is, wildlife became more abundant and active at airports in response to declines in air traffic volume.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Aviation , COVID-19 , Animals , United States/epidemiology , Humans , Animals, Wild , Airports , Pandemics , COVID-19/epidemiology , AircraftSubject(s)
Accidents, Aviation , Aviation , Humans , High Reliability Organizations , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
Loss of control in flight is the primary category of fatal accidents within all sectors of aviation and failure to maintain adequate airspeed - leading to a stall - is often cited as a causal factor. Stalls occur when the critical angle of the aircraft is exceeded for a given airspeed. Using airspeed as an indicator of the potential to stall is an unreliable proxy. Systems that measure the angle of attack have been routinely used by military aircraft for over 50 years however rigorous academic research with respect to their effectiveness has been limited. Using a fixed-base flight simulator fitted with a simulated, commercially available angle of attack system, 20 pilots performed normal and emergency procedures during the circuit/pattern in a light aircraft. Experimental results have shown that pilot performance was improved when angle of attack was displayed in the cockpit for normal and emergency procedures during the approach phase of flight in the pattern/circuit. In relation to pilot workload, results indicated that during the approach phase of flight, there was a moderate but tolerable increase in pilot workload. The use of such a display may assist pilots to maintain the aircraft within the optimum range and hence reduce occurrences of unstable approaches. Overall, fewer stall events were observed when angle of attack was displayed and appropriate pilot decisions made during emergencies. These results provide a new perspective on pilot workload and aviation safety.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Aviation , Aviation , Humans , Workload , Aviation/methods , Aircraft , Accidents, Aviation/prevention & control , Task Performance and AnalysisABSTRACT
The black hole illusion (BHI) is a subtype of spatial disorientation that can result in fatal consequences in aviation. Research on the BHI has generally focused on altitude deviation, and few studies have examined the effect across different flight phases. In a simulation-based experiment, 18 participants performed 12 simulated approach and landing tasks in normal and BHI environments. Flight performance was analyzed with 14 flight parameters and was compared across five points and three phases, which were referenced from a National Transportation Safety Board report and other previous studies. Results showed that multiple flight parameters were significantly impaired and that their influences varied from the initial approach to the final touchdown. In the BHI environment, participants tended to descend aggressively during the approach phase and flew a lower but similar glidepath during the last approach phase. They might have realized the abnormal situation induced by the BHI but usually were unable to recover from the dangerous maneuver in time. Additionally, the result of glide path error, one of the most commonly used variables in previous BHI research, was only significant during the last approach phase. Flight stability was also impaired in the BHI environment. This is the first study to systematically analyze the BHI effects on multiple flight parameters at different flight phases. The use of this experimental paradigm could facilitate future research to evaluate and prevent the BHI in a more comprehensive way.