Human factors in aviation encompasses all of the possible ways humans can cause an aircraft operation to be unsafe. It takes more than one human to produce a safe flight. Understanding this, it is arguable that it takes more than one human to produce an unsafe flight. “Human factors are issues affecting how people do their jobs. They are the social and personal skills, such as communication and decision making which complement our technical skills. These are important for safe and efficient aviation” (Civil Aviation Safety Authority, 2020).
In air traffic control, there is a system in place to counterbalance human factors. We call it Crew Resource Management. This concept acknowledges that human factors in aviation do occur. This is why we have different positions, with different responsibilities in each position. In addition to being responsible for our own positions, we are also responsible for looking out for potential problems, whether it is our position’s responsibility or not. With all of the air and ground traffic, it would be nearly impossible for the human brain to keep up with everything and make good, safe decisions. This is why we have Crew Resource management.
“CRM encompasses a wide range of knowledge, skills and attitudes including communications, loss of situational awareness, problem solving, decision making, and teamwork; together with all the attendant sub-disciplines which each of these areas entails” (Skybrary, 2020). The most important aspects of being a controller, other than the knowledge base, are situational awareness, checklists, and communication. Being situationally aware of the aircraft, vehicles, potential conflicts in the air and on the ground, and any anomalies are all part of situational awareness. Checklists are crucial to maintain the same level of safety each time, for each situation. Communication is critical because it offers another level of protection against unsafe situations. For example, when we raise the cable for incoming flights, we communicate with other controllers, “cable coming up,” and then mark it on a flight strip once observed in the raised position. Because of the checklists and communication, everyone in the tower cab is aware that the cable is raised for inbound aircraft. There is no second guessing at the last second when it comes to safety. Crew resource management is air traffic’s answer to combating safety and human factors in aviation.
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Resources
Australian Government Civil Aviation Safety Authority. (2020, March 3). Human factors. Civil Aviation Safety Authority. https://www.casa.gov.au/safety-management/human-factors
Skybrary. (2020 March 21). Crew Resource Management. Skybrary. https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Crew_Resource_Management_(CRM)
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