Aviation Essay

human error is a very real

the course starts with a brief review of the role of human error in aviation accidents using the SHELL,

The SHELL Model is defined as “the relationship of human factors and the aviation environment

which the name was derived from the initials of its components (Software, Hardware, Environment, and Liveware)

another ‘Liveware’ (the person) and diagrammed to illustrate the interactions between the central Liveware and each of other four systems

although human error has been implicated in 70 to 80% of all accidents

Approximately 80 percent of airplane accidents are due to human error (pilots, air traffic controllers, mechanics, etc.

Human error in aircraft maintenance and inspection has been a factor in many air carrier accidents

to demonstrate the relevance of Human Factors in aviation safety, this analysis will utilize SHELL model where each of its components will be examined using the following interpretations: liveware (human), hardware (machine), software (procedures, symbology, etc.) and environment (the conditions in which the liveware functions).

On 10 June 1990, a BAC 1-11 aircraft departed Birmingham International Airport for Malaga, Spain, with 81 passengers, four cabin and two flight crew. As the aircraft was climbing through 17 300 feet pressure altitude, the cockpit windscreen had blown out and the pilot-in-command was partially sucked out. The investigation revealed that the accident occurred because a replacement windscreen had been fitted with the wrong bolts. However, this maintenance error is not a product of a sole factor but a result of a continuous breakdown in the system's safety net.

Liveware is at the center of the model. Human is generally considered the most critical component in the system as it is subjected to considerable variations in performance and many limitations. The assignment of changing the aircraft windscreen was undertaken by one technician who has not performed such task in two...