The Shell Module

A Pilot’s Nightmare

Synopsis

Operator: Federal Express

Aircraft Type: Douglas DC-10-10

Location: Newburgh, New York

Date: September 5, 1996

About 0554 eastern daylight time, on September 5, 1996, a Douglas DC-10-10CF, N68055, operated by the Federal Express Corporation as flight 1406, made an emergency landing at Steward International Airport, Newburgh, New York, after the flight crew determined that there was smoke in the cabin cargo compartment. The flight was operating under the provision of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a cargo flight from Memphis, Tennessee, to Boston, Massachusetts. Three crewmembers and two nonrevenue passengers were on board the airplane. The captain and flight engineer sustained minor injuries while evacuation the airplane. The airplane was destroyed by fire after the landing.

A Pilot’s Nightmare

To operate an aircraft safely, a pilot must have an understanding of technical subjects such as aircraft engines, instruments, meteorology and navigation. To make the appropriate decision for the safe operation of an aircraft, the pilot must exercise judgment. This is based on training, knowledge and experience, and an appreciation of all the factors which could influence the current situation, including human factors (Bagshaw & Campbell 2002). There is an interface between flight crew, machine, systems equipment and software, which come together in the airspace environment. We describe the SHELL module a concept to understand the technical symposiums dealing with man and machine. For this assignment, we will be using the SHELL module to analyze the series of events which lead to the crash of FedEx Flight 1406.

Software:

The software portion of the SHELL module focuses on the procedures, checklists, manuals, symbology and charts used by the flight. In this particular scenario, the first indication of a problem in this flight was the illumination of a warning light in the cockpit. The crew recognized the...