Aviation Safety - Assignment Example

Dirty Dozen Introduction Human factor is a term that has gained a lot of popularity in the transport sector, especially in commercial aviation. Over the ages, aviation technology has managed to reduce the number of accidents occurring. However, human errors continue to challenge the entire aviation industry when it comes to aviation safety. Human factors such as complacency, fatigue, stress, improper communication, distraction, pressure, absence of assertiveness, norms, insufficient knowledge, lack of awareness, and distraction contribute to most of the aviation accidents. Universally, the aviation industry attributes eighty percent of the accidents that occur to these human factors (Salas et al. 2010). Failing to note these factors may mean wasted time, worker injuries, and accidents. The twelve human factors associated with accidents have been dubbed the Dirty Dozen model. Gordon Dupont, in 1993, came up with this concept while working in Canada and initiated a human performance in airplane maintenance and training programs. This has since served as a keystone of human factors in airplane maintenance. Although the Dirty Dozen does not provide the most comprehensive list of factors that underlie airplane accidents, it offers a useful starting point to discuss human error in crises and mishaps. Dirty Dozen has model has led to increased concern in human errors behind airline accidents (Wise et al. 2011). Indeed, by addressing human factors, airlines are becoming safer by the day. This paper presents an analysis of the Dirty Dozen model in connection to the Alaska Airline’s accident, which left passengers and crewmembers in flight 261 dead. This paper also shows the role that this model plays in preventing airline accidents. Flight 261 Overview and Probable cause Alaska Airlines reported a serious accident on 31 January 2000 when McDonnell Douglas, flight 261, crashed and killed 83 passengers, 2 pilots and 3 crewmembers. The accident that occurred at the Pacific Ocean around 4.3 kilometers parts of Anacapa Island left the plane completely damaged because of the impact. Flying from Diaz to California, Flight 261 was to have several stops that complied with aviation regulations. Visual weather-related situations prevailed for the airline as shown by meteorological flight instruments. A thorough investigation followed the accident, and the National Transportation Safety Board presented the possible cause of the mishap (NTSB 2000). An analysis of the National Transportation Safety Board showed that the possible because of an airplane crash was a loss of the pitch control for the aircraft. This emanated from an in-flight botch of the airline’s horizontal stabilizer and its associated jackscrews. The thread problem occurred due to excessive wear and tore that further pointed to an insufficiently lubricated jackscrew assembly. The Airline had extended intervals of lubrication, which also contributed to the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration also had a part to play as it approved an extension requested by Alaska Airlines involving the lubrication of the jackscrew. These events increased the probability of an overlooked or inadequate lubrication that might have caused the excessive wear and tear of the acme nut threads. Additionally, Alaska Airline left the nut threads to undergo wear and tear without detection. Another causative factor behind the accident was the lack of a fail-safe apparatus on the McDonnell plane that would have helped in mitigating the catastrophic effects of the total thread loss by the acme nuts (Martin 2011). Dirty Dozen Analysis Complacency Complacency involves feelings of self-satisfaction coupled by lack of awareness of impending dangers. Complacency arises when flight engineers and other associated members carry out routine activities for so long that they consider them as safe and easy. This leads to an overall relaxation in vigilance and may result in missed signals depicting the danger. Complacency can also happen in situations where an organization has just recovered from intense activity involving a possible disaster. In such instances, members develop physical and mental relaxation leading to reduced awareness and vigilance. Although a lot of pressure in an organization might lead to reduced performance among employees, too little leads to boredom, under-stress, reduced performance, and complacency (Ferguson & Nelson 2013, p.150). If this is what had happened to Alaska Air, then there were impending dangers that could have been disastrous. Alaska Air should have never allowed Flight 261 to fly if the flight engineers had raised any concern about the airplane’s jackscrew. However, a culture of complacency stood in the way, and neither the engineers nor the Airline’s officials noted the issue and stopped the flight. Records show that mechanics had the nuts in Flight 261 at their maximum permissible wear level and planned to have them replaced. However, the company conducted five additional checks and reported that the parts were within tolerable levels, so the Airline never replaced those parts. To date, the decision features in lawsuits’ citations and is an important factor in the debate surrounding the company’s maintenance practices (Hermann, 2008). Culpability for the accident remains a court issue, but the reputation of the company hangs on a thin line and may be precarious for the future of the company. Lack of Knowledge There are myriad comprehensive regulatory requirements in the airline industry and companies are to follow them strictly. However, lack of particular knowledge and on-the-job training can lead employees into making dangerous decisions and misjudging situations. Airplane systems are so intricate that it is almost impossible to carry out certain tasks without significant technical training, adequate reference, and relevant training in current technologies (Hilligsoe, 2009, p.213). Furthermore, procedures and systems in the airline industry change substantially and workers can become out of date quickly. The NTSB confirmed that the lack of proper knowledge concerning sufficient maintenance of the aircraft led to its crashing. The board further added that the Airline could have stopped the plane from crashing (Griffioen, 2011, p.153). The company should have invested in training employees, especially those that were involved in assessing the plane. Lack of teamwork In perilous and difficult times, cooperation is quintessential. Unfortunately, occurrences that followed the identification of Flight 261’s problem showed that the maintenance engineers were nonchalant in assisting the pilots. This was uncalled for at extremely difficult times when the pilots were bundled with the hard task of solving the stabilizer problem. Troubleshooting proved hard because of poor teamwork. It is very unfortunate that the maintenance personnel did not perceive the situation the pilots were going through as grave and hesitated from consulting other maintenance workers and even pilots (Griffioen, 2011). Lack of assertiveness and communication Assertiveness stands as an important determinant factor in airplane safety. The communication system in airlines should include assertive individuals who will relay information correctly and help in mitigating accidents. In Flight 261’s case, the maintenance personnel who knew that the plane needed certain things for its lubrication to avoid excessive friction were not assertive enough. Failing to speak up, in spite of knowing the consequences of such neglect led to an unimaginable disaster. Clearly, it was not enough for the engineers who had identified the problem to remain silent. They had to do more than was required of them by the organization; they had to speak up. These individuals considered their jobs to be more important than the safety of hundreds. This concern made them keep quiet, compromise on safety regulations, and contribute to a fatal accident. In the same vein, lack of communication, which arises from the lack of assertiveness in part, may lead to fatal accidents in the airline industry (Hardy, 2010, p.183). Pressure Pressure is a common problem in the airline industry. The maintenance workers are always under pressure to maintain, rectify, and deliver airplanes in a time conscious manner to make sure they do not interfere with the pre-scheduled departure times (Hardy, 2010). In the Flight 261 mishap, there was pressure to keep up with the schedule and some of the involved workers falsified information to ensure the flight was on time. The first maintenance report indicated that there was a problem with the jackscrew. However, the report that followed this showed that the jackscrews were in tolerable condition and that the aircraft was airworthy. Pressure to certify the plane to fly had spirited the alteration of the records and permitted the engineers to assemble the unfit jackscrew instead of scheduling for a replacement. In this company, there was also pressure to save finances in the financial hard times. The airline sought means to cut costs by cutting on maintenance time and costs and increasing flying times. The aircraft in question did not get the appropriate maintenance time. Alaska Airlines also sought to save on lubrication costs leading to excessive friction and wear of the nut threads (NTSB, 2000). Lack of resources A company that lacks resources lowers the ability of its employees to complete tasks as scheduled. Products that are of low quality can also compromise the ability to complete tasks. Alaska Airlines did not provide the required resources to its employees, and this limited the ability of the maintenance personnel greatly. Any instance that involves the absence of the required resources might lead to fatal or non-fatal accidents. Aircrafts should never dispatch if they have botched functioning systems as this could lead to serious problems. However, Flight 261 portrayed this human error, and it flew with some functionality deficits leading to a fatal accident (Hardy 2010). Norms Norms refer to the unwritten rules or ways of doing things under normal circumstances. If a company has negative norms, then it will easily detract from the original and intended rules of safety leading to the occurrence of major accidents. Norms come about as a way of dealing with issues that have ambiguous resolutions. The norm at Alaska Airlines prevented the engineers and management from seeking a lasting and safer intervention for the jackscrew problem. Deviating from the standard rules and following norms led to the demise of many and huge losses (NTSB 2000). Other factors The Dirty Dozen model includes other factors such as fatigue, stress, and distraction that may not have had a direct relationship with Flight 261’s crash. Fatigue occurs when workers engage in strenuous activities without proper rest. This can lead to impaired judgment. Stress occurs when an individual fails to handle forthcoming and present demands. While it is not clear how this could have affected the flight, stressed pilots and engineers pose as a danger to flights. Engineers can also fail to maintain airplanes adequately because of distractions and this can cause accidents in the future (NTSB 2000). Conclusion This paper shows the various Dirty Dozen factors that led to the fatal accident that left numerous people dead. Addressing these human factors is truly a great starting point to ensuring aviation safety. Airline companies ought to consider every aspect in the Dirty Doze model to prevent accidents and incidents. Although it might be costly for a company to employ countermeasures for the Dirty Dozen factors, accidents and loss of human life is more costly. Therefore, Alaska Airlines and other airline companies should abide by this model religiously for safety purposes. References Ferguson, M., Nelson, S., 2013. Aviation Safety: A Balanced Industry Approach. Cengage Learning. Griffioen, H., 2011. Air Crash Investigations: LOST PROPELLER BLADE KILLS 8, the Crash of Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529. Lulu.com. Hardy, T.L., 2010. The System Safety Skeptic: Lessons Learned in Safety Management and Engineering. AuthorHouse. Hermann, P., 2008. When Disaster Strikes - A Guideline to Business Continuity Awareness. BoD – Books on Demand. Hilligsoe, S., 2009. Negotiation. Academica. Martin, J.W., 2011. Unexpected Consequences: Why The Things We Trust Fail. ABC-CLIO. NTSB, 2000. Loss of Control and Impact with Pacific Ocean Alaska Airlines Flight 261. California. Salas, E., Jentsch, F., Maurino, D., 2010. Human Factors in Aviation. Academic Press. Wise, J.A., Hopkin, V.D., Garland, D.J., 2011. Handbook of Aviation Human Factors, Second Edition. CRC Press. Read More