Table Of ContentHuman Factors on the Flight Deck
Hans-Joachim Ebermann
Joachim Scheiderer
Editors
Human Factors
on the Flight Deck
Safe Piloting Behaviour in Practice
123
Editors Translator
Hans-Joachim Ebermann StephenGilbert
MainAirport Center GilbertTraining &Translations
Vereinigung Cockpite.V. Beltheim-Heyweiler
Frankfurt
Germany
JoachimScheiderer
MainAirport Center
Vereinigung Cockpite.V.
Frankfurt
Germany
ISBN 978-3-642-31732-3 e-ISBN978-3-642-31733-0 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-31733-0
SpringerHeidelbergNewYorkDordrechtLondon
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2012949057
(cid:2)Springer-VerlagBerlinHeidelberg2013
Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.AllrightsarereservedbythePublisher,whetherthewholeorpartof
the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations,
recitation,broadcasting,reproductiononmicrofilmsorinanyotherphysicalway,andtransmissionor
informationstorageandretrieval,electronicadaptation,computersoftware,orbysimilarordissimilar
methodology now known or hereafter developed. Exempted from this legal reservation are brief
excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis or material supplied specifically for the
purposeofbeingenteredandexecutedonacomputersystem,forexclusiveusebythepurchaserofthe
work. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of
theCopyrightLawofthePublisher’slocation,initscurrentversion,andpermissionforusemustalways
beobtainedfromSpringer.PermissionsforusemaybeobtainedthroughRightsLinkattheCopyright
ClearanceCenter.ViolationsareliabletoprosecutionundertherespectiveCopyrightLaw.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this
publicationdoesnotimply,evenintheabsenceofaspecificstatement,thatsuchnamesareexempt
fromtherelevantprotectivelawsandregulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse.
While the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of
publication,neithertheauthorsnortheeditorsnorthepublishercanacceptanylegalresponsibilityfor
anyerrorsoromissionsthatmaybemade.Thepublishermakesnowarranty,expressorimplied,with
respecttothematerialcontainedherein.
Printedonacid-freepaper
SpringerispartofSpringerScience+BusinessMedia(www.springer.com)
Preface
The primary task of an airline pilot is to bring his aircraft safely from point A to
point B. The need to do this economically and comfortably is of secondary
importance.
Yet, the knowledge airline pilots must possess related to optimal accident
prevention and the avoidance of ‘‘human error’’ still has room for improvement,
despite many years of effort.
Simulator training today focuses predominantly on technical system failure,
eventhoughthishasbeenidentifiedasthesingledecisivefactorinonlyabout8%
of all safety-critical incidents. It occurs in combination with other factors in
another25%ofallincidents,whiletwo-thirdsoftheseincidentsaresolelyrelated
to normal operations, which, at least in recurrent training, is afforded only very
little attention.
Pilots should know more about when and under which conditions accidents
occurandhowtheycanbesensiblyavoidedinapreventativemanner.Therefore,it
is precisely at this point that we focus our attention, providing extensive related
examples and explanations in the chapters that follow.
An essential component of accident prevention is safety-relevant behaviour,
particularly as conveyed through Crew Resource Management (CRM). Over the
past years, this has found broad application in the acquisition of the theoretical
knowledge required for the Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL). Unfortu-
nately,thistheoreticalcontenthasnotbeenconveyedinthesamedepthofdetailto
those who had already obtained their ATPL prior to this time. At the same time,
the practical implementation of this material in the cockpit can be further
improvedupon,aswell.OurdesireistosupportthisbyinitiallydefiningtheCRM
contentascompletelyaspossible,thenbysubsequentlyshowinghowthismaterial
can be transferred from the theoretical training into the cockpit by way of the
necessary seminars.
Of particular note is that this book was written almost invariably by airline
pilots in their technical language and taking into account their daily professional
activities. The material is therefore not overly theoretical, but rather straightfor-
wardandquitesimply‘‘takenfrompracticalapplicationforpracticalapplication’’
and for implementation into the training program.
v
vi Preface
Forthisreason,thebookshouldnotonlybeseenasanaidtoflightoperationsin
the continuous development of their training programs; it supports the laborious
taskofdeterminingthecontentmaterialforCRMtraining.Butitisalsoofvalueto
theindividualpractitionerinhisself-studyeffortsand—asathirdgoal—itenables
the German Airline Pilots’ Association, ‘‘Vereinigung Cockpit’’ (VC), to formu-
late its position with respect to the legislative authorities.
Notes
TheauthorsspeakfortheVereinigungCockpite.V.(VC/German AirlinePilots’
Association) and are longstanding members of its Flight Safety working group.
Thestatementsmadeinthisbookrelatetopilotsasaprofessionaltitleusingthe
male gender. It is understood, of course, that they apply to the female gender in
equal measure.
ThisbookhasbeenwrittenbyGermanpilotsandtakesintoaccountneitherthe
interests of an individual flight operation nor those of another cultural framework
outside that of Central Europe.
Frankfurt a. M., June 2012 Hans-Joachim Ebermann
Joachim Scheiderer
Contents
1 Accident Prevention. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Hans-Joachim Ebermann and Patrick Jordan
2 Information Assimilation and Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Dr. Gerhard Fahnenbruck
3 Human Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Rolf Wiedemann
4 Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Hans-Ulrich Raulf
5 Stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Hans-Joachim Ebermann and Dr. Gerhard Fahnenbruck
6 Decision Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Johannes Bühler, Hans-Joachim Ebermann, Florian Hamm
and Dagmar Reuter-Leahr
7 Leadership and Team Behaviour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Hans-Joachim Ebermann and Joachim Scheiderer
8 Fatigue and Alertness Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Hans-Joachim Ebermann and Maria-Pascaline Murtha
9 Recommendations by the German Airline Pilot’s Association . . . . 211
Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
vii
Authors
Capt. Johannes Bühler Vereinigung Cockpit e.V., Main Airport Center,
Unterschweinstiege 10, 60549 Frankfurt, Deutschland
Capt. Dr. Gerhard Fahnenbruck Vereinigung Cockpit e.V., Main Airport
Center,
Unterschweinstiege 10, 60549 Frankfurt, Deutschland
Capt. Florian Hamm Vereinigung Cockpit e.V., Main Airport Center,
Unterschweinstiege 10, 60549 Frankfurt, Deutschland
Capt. Patrick Jordan Vereinigung Cockpit e.V., Main Airport Center,
Unterschweinstiege 10, 60549 Frankfurt, Deutschland
Capt. Maria-Pascaline Murtha Vereinigung Cockpit e.V., Main Airport Center,
Unterschweinstiege 10, 60549 Frankfurt, Deutschland
Capt. Hans-Ulrich Raulf Vereinigung Cockpit e.V., Main Airport Center,
Unterschweinstiege 10, 60549 Frankfurt, Deutschland
Mrs. Dagmar Reuter-Leahr Vereinigung Cockpit e.V., Main Airport Center,
Unterschweinstiege 10, 60549 Frankfurt, Deutschland
Capt. Rolf Wiedemann Vereinigung Cockpit e.V., Main Airport Center,
Unterschweinstiege 10, 60549 Frankfurt, Deutschland
Other contributors are:
Capt. Tom Becker, Capt. Heiko Blabusch, SFO Jana Feldmann, Capt. Werner
Grübel, Capt. Christian Hilgenberg, Capt. Andreas Keller, Reiner W. Kemmler,
Capt. Sven Kutschera, Capt. Ralf Nitsche, Capt. Hans Rahmann, Capt. Carsten
Reuter,Capt.CarstenSchmidt,Capt.ChristopherSelle,Capt.ChristinaStromeyer,
Capt. Rolf Sulzer.
ix
Abbreviations
AMC Acceptable means of compliance
ASRS Aviation safety reporting system
ATC Air traffic control
BFU Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung (German Federal Bureau
of Aircraft Accident Investigation)
CAST Commercial aviation safety team
CAVOK Clouds and visibility okay
CBT Computer-based training
CDM Central decision maker
CISM Critical incident stress management
CNS Central nervous system
CRM Crew resource management
DLR Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (German Centre for
Aviation and Astronautics)
DME Distance measuring equipment
EASA European aviation safety agency
EEG Electroencephalography
EFIS Electronic flight instruments system
ENS Enteric nervous system
FAA Federal Aviation Administration
FAR Federal Aviation Regulations
FCL Flight crew licensing
FCU Flight control unit
FDM Flight data monitoring
FMS Flight management system
FO First officer
FSF Flight safety foundation
ft Feet
GPS Global positioning system
GPWS Ground proximity warning system
IATA International Air Transport Association
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization
IFR Instrument flight rules
ILS Instrument landing system
xi
xii Abbreviations
JAR Joint Aviation Regulations
LOFT Line orientated flight training
MCP Mode control panel
MEL Minimum equipment list
MTOW Maximum take-off weight
NOTECHS Non-technical skills
NREM Non-rapid eye movement
NDM Naturalistic decision making
NTSB National Transportation Safety Board
OPC Operator proficiency check
PAPI Precision approach path indicator
PM Pilot monitoring
PNF Pilot not flying
PSR Perceived safety risk
REM Rapid eye movement
R/T Radio telephony
SFE Synthetic flight examiner
SID Standard instrument departure
SOP Standard operating procedure
STAR Standard instrument arrival route
TCAS Traffic collision avoidance system
TEL Translation and elaboration of legislation
TGL Temporary guidance leaflet
T/O Take-off
TRE Type rating examiner
TRI Type rating instructor
TSA Time since awake
UAL United airlines
VASIS Visual approach slope indicator system
VC Vereinigung Cockpit (German Airline Pilots’ Association)
VFR Visual flight rules
1
Accident Prevention
Hans-Joachim Ebermann and Patrick Jordan
1.1 Introduction
The following material is fundamental to flight safety. It is a prerequisite to the
acceptance of the airplane as a means of public transportation, as well as to the
economic viability of a flight operation.
Legislators and regulators are cognizant of the public’s interest in safety and
establish minimum standards, which must be complied with accordingly.
But minimum standards alone can’t sustain long-term flight operations; espe-
cially those employing a large number of aircraft. These operators are forced to
strive for higher standards then those prescribed by law due to the greater prob-
ability of accident or incident. An operator with too many mishaps will be elim-
inated from the competition. Yet, no airline will invest more money into safety
than makes economical sense.
The goal of every pilot is to achieve an accident rate of zero. In the routine of
the daily flying profession, the pilot is the final authority for guaranteeing flight
safety and the prevention of accidents. It is therefore essential that pilots possess
comprehensive knowledge about both the cause, as well as the prevention of
accidents.Thisenablesthemtofunctionfromtheoutsetinapreventativemanner.
For this reason, it would be desirable for this material to be included for study
and testing, even during initial training for license issuance.
To begin with, it will be beneficial to review some basic flight safety-related
statistics. Then the question as to the circumstances under which accidents occur
will be approached. This, inturn, will allow us to derive recommendations useful
H.-J.Ebermann(&)(cid:2)P.Jordan
MainAirportCenter,VereinigungCockpite.V,Unterschweinstiege10,
60549Frankfurt,Germany
e-mail:[email protected]
P.Jordan
e-mail:[email protected]
H.-J.EbermannandJ.Scheiderer(eds.),HumanFactorsontheFlightDeck, 1
DOI:10.1007/978-3-642-31733-0_1,(cid:2)Springer-VerlagBerlinHeidelberg2013
