Human Factors in Aviation

Human factor in Aviation is the study that how humans react with machines used in Aviation Industry. Interaction of Man with machine i.e. in Aviation Aircraft is the most common machine. It has proved by research that seventy present of Accident and incidents are caused by human error. Aircraft Manufactures are working over Human factor to minimize the Human Error in this fast moving industry. The Boeing, Aircraft manufactures has introduced Aircraft that are based over human factor. Boeing tries to minimize the Human Error by introduction of highly automatic means, automation, that minimize the Human load. Boeing introduced many functions; structure of Aircraft, Aircraft Maintenance techniques to lessen human error, one among of them is described below;

Passenger Cabin Design

Mostly Aircraft manufactures works over Cockpit for the means of Human Factor because it is the main controlling part of Aircraft but Passenger cabin also have same importance because there are hundreds of Human Factors present at same place including Passengers and Cabin Crews.

Boing worked over Passenger Cabin Design to maximize the Safety and smooth operations. To examine human performance and to neglect Human Error in this procedure,

Boeing introduced

? Automatic Overwing Exit

Boeing introduce Automatic Overwing exit to make evacuation possible and easy. Evacuation in Aircraft means Emergency exit or escape of People from Aircraft in terms of any hazard. It is passenger friendly means any passenger can use it easily. That door opens automatically when passenger or crew member activate it. This is equipped in Boeing 737-600/-700/-800/-900. It has experimented that both small and Large people can use it for the purpose of evacuation. Its design and structure has made on the basis of Human Factor. According to Boeing, 200 people were experimented from all aspects of Human Factor methodology for this Automatic Overwing exit, results showed that an average adult can operate this Overwing exit in emergency.

Automatic Overwing exit highly reflect human Factor but it may have cons in it as every invention has also some hazards.

? In my view following are the cons of this Overwing exit:

1. First is that every passenger is not trained to open this emergency exit, so everyone cannot operate it.

2. One’s negative human factor can use it to cause hazard, even a crash can cause if this Overwing exit opens in flight.

3. As it has access to any passenger a one’s negative human factor can use it to gain his personal deeds, as Hijackers do so.

4. It is located over the wing where the maxim heat of engines came; it can cause a Human to be affected by Jet blast where the Aircraft engines produce winds up to 100 knots, as far away as 200 ft.

5. It doesn’t has floor level exit, in some cases it may cause problem.

It may have many cons but industry is still working over Human Factor and over its observation to provide highly safe modes for routine operation.

My personal recommendations:

1. There should be a prior announcement for passengers about Overwing Exit door so that everyone should know about it.

2. Prior to flight a short demo should be done by any Trained Cabin Crew on opening this exit door to guide Passengers.

3. In a case of any emergency may be rear seated passengers trapped, there should also an emergency exit door as Overwing exit door for rare seated passengers.

4. There should have a control from authority of that emergency exit to minimize accidental opening.

5. In the case when fire catches engine, there must be an option of automatically lock emergency exit located near that engine.

Human factor of people cannot be same so there should have substitutes, finding a solution of a problem itself is a Human Factor approach.

“Man must fly above the Earth to the top of the atmosphere and beyond for only then he will fully understand the world in which he lives”

-Socrates

Umer shehzad