Aircraft Accidents: Don’t Just Blame the Pilots

Airlines, the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. military services have all announced goals to reduce aviation accidents by a specified amount over a set timeframe. The goals are noble and justified from the potential economic savings associated with fewer lost aircraft and the reduction of human loss and suffering. The safety reduction goals are supported at the highest echelons of companies and the government with some of our best safety minds committed to the project. A comparison of the stated safety goals of the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Department of Defense, and U.S. military services with the actual changes in mishap rates reveals that these goals may be unattainable. Most safety experts would agree that human error and human limitations associated with flight are the single greatest limitation in reducing the accident rate. The results of this study indicate we may have designed an accident rate into the system by inadequately engineering system interfaces that include the pilots.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Hansen, Frederick D
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 86th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2007-1-21 to 2007-1-25
• Date: 2007

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 17p
• Monograph Title: TRB 86th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers CD-ROM

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pilots; Air transportation crashes; Aircraft; Aircraft pilotage; Aviation; Aviation safety; Fatalities; Human error; Safety; Safety and security
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01043987
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 07-0311
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Feb 8 2007 4:51PM