Human Factors Challenges

 

    Human factors are important because they can have effects during different moments and they could be catastrophic. Human factors include emotion, fatigue, stress, and other disturbances and interruptions that can make a bad outcome. PHAK (2016) states that human factors contribute to many aviation accidents and have caused more than 70 percent. Human factors can affect multiple groups like pilots, maintenance, and air traffic control. There are many forms of human factors and people need to be prepared and trained to face these trials during their life and know how to react or handle them correctly. 

    I have heard a lot of stories that have to do with hazardous attitudes. There are many pilots and mechanics who have a macho or anti-authority attitude towards a lot of people because they always want to feel like they know exactly what they are doing. They never want help because they think that they are the big ones on the job and never need help while also thinking they are simply better than everyone there. These attitudes are always out there and in every career.

     I heard a story of a captain who never liked hearing a word out of the co-pilots mouth unless spoken to. One day his anti-authority attitude got the crew and passengers into big trouble in the air. They were up at 16,000 feet and were headed straight for a storm. The co-pilot spoke out and asked if the captain is going to make the call to deviate from their current heading, but the captain told the co-pilot to stop talking because he has everything under control. They kept flying straight into the storm and encountered turbulence and icing. The captain did not do anything so the co-pilot spoke out again to suggest deviation and letting ATC know what is happening. The captain got incredibly angry at the man and told him once more that he knows exactly what he is doing. He headed straight in the storm and a lot of ice was building up and as a result he started to lose control of the plane and started freaking out. He was under a lot of pressure and his first thought and attempt was to climb, but the plane was very heavy due to the ice so he finally informed ATC that he needs to descend and get out of the storm. 

    These human factors can be dangerous and lead to harm or death. Luckily in this situation nobody got hurt but his hazardous attitudes were terrible and never helped anyone. People need to be professionally trained for human factors because of how important they are and how they can cause challenges. 

    References

Secondary navigation. Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. (2016, August 24). Retrieved October 8, 2021, from https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/.