AVIT 250 - Human Factors

Course Description

  • Prerequisite or Corequisite: AVIT 102
  • AVIT majors only

This course introduces the student to the human element of the "human machine interface" in aviation. The course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of the human factors concepts including psychological and basic physiological limitations of humans operating in complex environments and design elements that allow for optimizing human-machine interactions.

Additional Course Information

This course introduces the student to the human element of the “human-machine interface” in aviation. The course provides important human factor concepts, including basic psychological and physiological limitations that affect pilot performance when operating in complex environments, and with techniques, processes, and procedures proven to help optimize human-human and human-machine interactions.

More than 75% of all fatal general aviation accidents and nearly 60% of fatal air carrier jet accidents have been attributed to human error. Most of these accidents were preventable had pilots respected their personal limitations and followed proper risk management, decision-making, communication, and teamwork procedures.

Instruction is presented in four stages: (1) Perception, cognition, and physiology; (2) Aircraft ergonomics; (3) Teams and teamwork; and (4) Threats, errors, and risk management. A team project enables students to apply what they’ve learned through review of a major airline accident report, seeking to identify human factors issues and ergonomic design defects in the aircraft.

This course has been prepared consistent with the principles set forth in FAA-Industry Training Standards (FITS) for Technologically Advanced Aircraft (TAA). Based on a working knowledge of human strengths and weaknesses, the course lays the foundation for implementation of four distinct FITS concepts: (1) single-pilot resource management (SRM); (2) aviation decision-making (ADM); (3) situational awareness (S/A); and (4) risk management (RM). Mastering these skills will enable students to reliably identify hazards to flight, to assess and manage the risks associated with such hazards, and to trap and/or mitigate errors that might affect flight safety.

The science of ergonomics is introduced as it relates to the design and operation of aircraft displays, controls, and warning systems.

Student Learning Outcomes

To assist students in understanding and preparing to meet the course expectations the list below includes the significant objectives. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

  • Through participation in a team review of a prominent airline accident, students will learn to identify human-factor causes and defects in aircraft design, pilot decision making, and training.
  • This project reviews the conclusions of accident investigators and encourages students to look deeper, examining the data with fresh eyes, the eyes of a professional pilot.
  • Participation in this course will provide students with a set of human factor skills that can significantly enhance flight safety, as well as the know-how required to apply those skills during normal and abnormal aircraft operations.

Sample Assessment and Course Tasks

To assist students in understanding and preparing to meet the course expectations the lists below include some of the course tasks for this course.

  • Understand and describe the elements of good airmanship and the path to mastery of technical subjects, good situational awareness, and sound judgment. Specific tips to enhance memory (learning), retention, and recall are provided and practiced.
  • Understand and describe the strengths and weaknesses of human perception and cognitive processes, particularly in comparison to the capabilities of modern aircraft computers and systems.
  • Understand and explain the importance of attention-management and teamwork to good situational awareness (S/A) during flight.
  • Become familiar with the basic characteristics of the human-machine interface in technologically advanced aircraft, including indicating systems, controls, warning systems, and the need for redundancy.
  • Develop an awareness of contextual factors that exert a powerful influence on human interaction, including national culture, professional culture, and company culture.
  • Learn the elements of leadership and followship in an aviation environment and practice those principles during classroom exercises and the team project.
  • Develop an awareness of the important elements of good teamwork, including team formation, goal setting, commitment, brainstorming, prioritization, reaching consensus, and report production. Students will also learn how to manage threats to effective group process such as groupthink, stress, and time pressures.
  • Describe, explain, and apply four specific canonical forms of action-oriented communication. Practice with these simple action-oriented communication techniques will enhance the ability of students to produce intended results inside and outside the cockpit.
  • Learn the principles of aviation risk management and be able to explain how to apply risk assessment and risk management techniques.

Evaluation Standards

The student’s knowledge and understanding of aviation human factors will be evaluated through classroom discussion, reports, presentations, examinations and other assignments deemed appropriate by the instructor. A passing grade of 70% on all course material is required.