HUMAN FACTORS: STATUS OF EFFORTS TO INTEGRATE RESEARCH ON HUMAN FACTORS INTO FAA'S ACTIVITIES

Human error has contributed to about 80% of the fatal aviation crashes, according to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials. Recognizing the importance of human factors in aviation, the Congress enacted the Aviation Safety Research Act of 1988 (P.L. 100-591), which mandated that the FAA augment its research on human factors and coordinate its work with that of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Defense. The General Accounting Office (GAO) was requested to review the FAA's efforts to ensure the consideration of human factors in the agency's activities. This report describes the FAA's (1) organizational structure for incorporating the consideration of human factors in the agency's acquisition of new systems and operation of other systems and (2) aviation-related research on human factors, including the agency's processes for identifying research issues, and methods for allocating and coordinating resources for internal and external research on human factors. Briefly, results indicate the the FAA's structure for incorporating the consideration of human factors in the agency's programs includes a human factors policy order, a Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor for Human Factors (Chief Scientist), and a guidance for acquisitions. The Chief Scientist chairs the Human Factors Coordinating Committee and manages the Human Factors Division within the FAA's Office of Aviation Research. The FAA's other units are not required to coordinate their research on human factors with the Human Factors Division. As a result, the possibility of duplication exists, and the opportunity to leverage resources for research could be lost.

• Record URL:
  http://www.gao.gov/docdblite/summary.php?recflag=&rptno=RCED-96-151
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Report to the Chair, Subcommittee on Technology, Committee on Science, House of Representatives.
• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. General Accounting Office

  441 G Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20548
• Publication Date: 1996

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 25 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air transportation crashes; Aviation safety; Fatalities; Human error; Human factors; Management; Organizations; Research; Research management
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
• Uncontrolled Terms: Organizational structure
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Aviation; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00727038
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: GAO/RCED-96-151
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 3 1996 12:00AM