HUMAN FACTORS Modified by Lt Colonel Fred Blundell TX-129 Fort Worth Senior Squadron For Local Training Rev Jan-2014

This Training Slide Show is a project undertaken by Lt Colonel Fred Blundell of the TX-129 Fort Worth Senior Squadron, Fort Worth, TX for local use to assist those CAP Members interested in advancing their skills. The information contained herein is for CAP Member’s personal use and is not intended to replace or be a substitute for any of the CAP National Training Programs. Users should review the presentation’s Revision Number at the end of each file name to ensure that they have the most current publication.

2 Human Factors?  Nearly all runway incursions are caused by human error!  Human Factors specialists look for causes of human error and how to eliminate them.

3 Runway Incursion Stats Fiscal Year Operational Errors (OEs) Pilot Deviations (PDs) Vehicle & Pedestrian (VPD) Totals Data source: FAA Runway Safety Office

4 Pilot Deviations …  5 runway incursions / million operations  58 % of total operations are GA  65% of pilot deviations are GA  1 serious incursion (A or B) between large aircraft each month Data source: FAA Runway Safety Office

5 What the reports tell us …  Most runway incursions happen during the day with good visibility.  Experience (for pilots & controllers) does not eliminate the chance of a runway incursion. Data Source: Runway Safety Blueprint 2002 – 2004 (July, 2002). U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration

6 Most common factors  Memory  Attention  Communication  Fatigue  Teamwork Data Source: Runway Safety: It’s Everybody’s Business (July 2001) U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration

7 Memory factors …  Most people can remember about 7 unrelated items  Stress reduces the amount of information we can hold in memory Data Source: Runway Safety: It’s Everybody’s Business (July 2001) U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration

8 Memory factors …  Memory can be “constructed” – we remember what we wanted to hear  Remembering to do something in the future is very difficult. Data Source: Runway Safety: It’s Everybody’s Business (July 2001) U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration

9 Demonstration …  A32  C54  A23  B51  C40  B58  B33  C41  A11  A21  Airplane  Runway  Tower  Propeller  Landing  Taxi  Approach  Airport  Departure  Gate

10 Memory Tips …  Write down taxi instructions  Brief the airport diagram and keep it open  Read back clearances with call sign and runway designator  Check actual instructions against expectations  Check with ATC if you are waiting on the runway longer than anticipated (~ 90 secs) Data Source: Runway Safety: It’s Everybody’s Business (July 2001) U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration

11 Attention Factors  Focused attention allows us to filter out irrelevant information while concentrating on what is important  Too much attention on one thing, however, can lead to error Data Source: Runway Safety: It’s Everybody’s Business (July 2001) U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration

12 Attention Demonstration …

13 Attention Tips …  Brief the airport diagram prior to taxiing  Wait until you have cleared all active runways before attending to other details  Remain alert, even in familiar locations  Maintain situation awareness through continued surveillance Data Source: Runway Safety: It’s Everybody’s Business (July 2001) U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration

14 Fatigue Factors …  Lack of sleep can result in FATIGUE  Fatigue can lead to decreases in memory, attention, and most other cognitive functions as well as to decreases in decision making capacity Data Source: Runway Safety: It’s Everybody’s Business (July 2001) U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration

15 Caffeine to the RESCUE  Choc milk – 72mg  Iced tea – 32 mg  Diet Coke – 49 mg  Coffee – 200 mg  Decaf – 10 mg  Dristan – 30 mg  Excedrin – 65 mg  Coffee Ice Cream – 58 mg  Average Daily Consumption – 250 mg Data Source: Runway Safety: It’s Everybody’s Business (July 2001) U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration

16 Fatigue Tips …  Caffeine can be helpful in the short term – but it can also make matters worse  20 minute “power naps” can be effective Data Source: Runway Safety: It’s Everybody’s Business (July 2001) U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration

17 Fatigue Tips …  Take breaks and move around if possible  If you are fatigued, it may be too late. Make a habit of getting enough sleep Data Source: Runway Safety: It’s Everybody’s Business (July 2001) U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration

18 Communication Factors …  Communication errors account for a large number of runway incursions –Failure to readback / hearback –Blocked or stepped on communications –Accepting clearance for another aircraft –Misunderstanding instructions Data Source: Runway Safety: It’s Everybody’s Business (July 2001) U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration

RUNWAY INCURSIONS DO NOT DISCRIMINATE They can happen at any airport at any time to anybody!

Runway incursions can happen between two large commercial aircraft at a towered airport…

They can happen between an airport vehicle and a commercial carrier at a towered airport…

They can happen between a commuter aircraft and a general aviation aircraft at a non-towered airport

23 Where Do We Go Wrong? Controllers: -Can forget -Get distracted -Fail to coordinate -Don’t catch all the readback errors -Act human

24 Where Do We Go Wrong? Pilots and Drivers: -Fail to “hold short” as instructed -Get Lost (with and without poor visibility) -Misunderstand the clearance -Act Human

25 End the “Blame Game” Recognize the fact that this is a systems problem, not a pilot or a controller problem Even the most well-trained, professional, and conscientious pilot and controller can have a Runway Incursion Human error can’t be eliminated, but it can be managed! Data Source: The Human Factor portion of the presentation is courtesy of Daniel J. Hannon, Ph.D, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center.

26 What Have We Learned….. The Consequences Are Clear

27 Regional: National:

Always Think Safety!