CORRELATION OF GENERAL AVIATION ACCIDENTS WITH THE BIORHYTHM THEORY

Biorhythms were calculated for over 4000 pilots involved in general aviation accidents in 1972. Data were obtained from the files of the National Transportation Safety Board. Exact data and time of accident were used, and 1200 hours (noon) was used as the average time of birth. Data were analyzed for correlation of aircraft-accident occurrence with both biorhythmically critical days and with individual and multiple low or negative phases of cycle. Data were calculated by both a 24- and 48-hour critical period and by all three cycles (physical, emotional, and intellectual) or only the physical and emotional cycles. Data did not deviate significantly from the random model, when analyzed by chi-square at the p = 0.1 level. No correlation was found between accident occurrence and biorhythmic criticality or low phase of cycle. This was true both for the cases in which the primary cause of the accident was attributed to pilot involvement and for those in which it was not.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1329271
• Corporate Authors:

  Human Factors Society

  Johns Hopkins University Press
  Baltimore, MD  United States  21218
• Authors:
  • Wolcott, J H
  • McMeekin, R R
  • Burgin, R E
  • YANOWITCH, R E
• Publication Date: 1977-6

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 283-293
• Serial:
  • Human Factors
  • Volume: 19
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Sage Publications, Incorporated
  • ISSN: 0018-7208
  • EISSN: 1547-8181
  • Serial URL: http://hfs.sagepub.com/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pilots; Air transportation crashes; Aviation; Behavior; Circadian rhythms; Crash causes; Crash investigation; Crashes; Data analysis; Flight personnel; General aviation; Human factors; Human factors engineering; Human factors engineering; Mathematical analysis; Research
• Old TRIS Terms: Behavioral cycles; Biorhythms; Physiologial cycles
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Design; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00170190
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 30 1978 12:00AM