Flight Safety Digest March-April 2003
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FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION MARCH–APRIL 2003 FLIGHT SAFETY DIGEST The Human Factors Implications for Flight Safety Of Recent Developments In the Airline Industry FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION For Everyone Concerned With the Safety of Flight Flight Safety Digest OFFICERS AND STAFF Vol. 22 No. 3–4 March–April 2003 Hon. Carl W. Vogt Chairman, Board of Governors Stuart Matthews In This Issue President and CEO The Human Factors Implications for Flight Robert H. Vandel Executive Vice President Safety of Recent Developments in the 1 James S. Waugh Jr. Airline Industry Treasurer ADMINISTRATIVE Worldwide Apron Accident/Incident Ellen Plaugher Rates for 2001 Show Increase 78 Special Events and Products Manager Linda Crowley Horger Data from 353 airports showed that damage to equipment Manager, Support Services and facilities was more frequent than damage to aircraft on the apron, and that apron accident rates and incident rates FINANCIAL were highest in the European Region and at larger airports. Crystal N. Phillips Director of Finance and Administration Report Outlines Procedures for First Millicent Wheeler Accountant Responders at Aircraft-accident Sites 81 TECHNICAL Police, firefighters and medical personnel are usually the James M. Burin first to arrive at an accident scene. Australian civil and military Director of Technical Programs safety authorities have issued jointly a report outlining Joanne Anderson procedures to ensure the safety of these emergency-services Technical Programs Specialist personnel, aid survivors and preserve information for accident Louis A. Sorrentino III investigators. Managing Director of Internal Evaluation Programs Robert Feeler Airplane Strikes Vehicle Q-Star Program Administrator Parked Near Gate 83 Robert Dodd, Ph.D. Manager, Data Systems and Analysis The flight crew believed that the area was clear of obstructions Darol V. Holsman when they taxied the airplane to the gate at an airport in Manager of Aviation Safety Audits England after a night flight from Germany. After the incident, the airport operator planned to publish warnings to drivers MEMBERSHIP of airside vehicles not to leave unattended equipment at the Ann Hill gates. Director, Membership and Development Ahlam Wahdan Membership Services Coordinator PUBLICATIONS Roger Rozelle Director of Publications Mark Lacagnina Senior Editor Wayne Rosenkrans Senior Editor Linda Werfelman Senior Editor Rick Darby Associate Editor Karen K. Ehrlich Cover photo: © Copyright 2003 Corbis. Web and Print Production Coordinator Ann L. Mullikin Flight Safety Foundation is an international membership organization dedicated Production Designer to the continuous improvement of aviation safety. Nonprofit and independent, the Foundation was launched officially in 1947 in response to the aviation Susan D. Reed industry’s need for a neutral clearinghouse to disseminate objective safety Production Specialist information, and for a credible and knowledgeable body that would identify Patricia Setze threats to safety, analyze the problems and recommend practical solutions to Librarian, Jerry Lederer Aviation Safety Library them. Since its beginning, the Foundation has acted in the public interest to produce positive influence on aviation safety. Today, the Foundation provides Jerome Lederer leadership to more than 910 member organizations in more than 142 countries. President Emeritus The Human Factors Implications for Flight Safety of Recent Developments in the Airline Industry A Research Study for the Joint Aviation Authorities Contents Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................................................4 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................7 1.1 Background to the Study ..............................................................................................................................7 1.2 Scope of the Study........................................................................................................................................7 1.3 Methodology.................................................................................................................................................8 1.4 Layout of Report...........................................................................................................................................8 2. Culture ................................................................................................................................................................9 2.1 Professional Culture......................................................................................................................................9 2.2 Organizational Culture .................................................................................................................................9 2.3 National Culture..........................................................................................................................................10 2.4 Managing Cultural Issues on the Flight Deck ............................................................................................13 2.5 Conclusions.................................................................................................................................................13 3. Errors Arising From the Performance of Team Tasks ..................................................................................13 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................13 3.2 Information Acquisition..............................................................................................................................15 3.3 Information Sharing....................................................................................................................................16 3.4 Decision Making.........................................................................................................................................19 3.5 Latent Failures ...........................................................................................................................................20 3.6 Summary of Factors Infl uencing Flight Deck Errors ................................................................................20 4. Commercial Developments in the Airline Industry ......................................................................................20 4.1 Historical Perspective .................................................................................................................................20 4.2 Effects of Deregulation...............................................................................................................................23 4.3 Privatization ...............................................................................................................................................24 4.4 Alliances ....................................................................................................................................................24 4.5 Mergers and Acquisitions ..........................................................................................................................25 4.6 Low-cost Carriers .......................................................................................................................................26 5. Effects on Flight Crew of Commercial Developments...................................................................................26 5.1 Multicultural Flight Crews .........................................................................................................................26 5.2 Merging of Company Cultures ..................................................................................................................29 5.3 Commercial Pressure..................................................................................................................................32 FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION • FLIGHT SAFETY DIGEST • MARCH–APRIL 2003 1 6. Mitigating Factors.............................................................................................................................................35 6.1 Crew Resource Management (CRM) .........................................................................................................35 6.2 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)......................................................................................................38 6.3 Professional Culture....................................................................................................................................40 6.4 Safety Regulation .......................................................................................................................................42 7. Effectiveness of Mitigating Factors on Human Factors Problems Arising From Commercial Developments ......................................................................................................44 7.1 Teamwork ...................................................................................................................................................44 7.2 Communication ..........................................................................................................................................45