Human Factors in Aircraft Dispatch and Maintenance Safety

Objective

Objectives and content
Aircraft maintenance and dispatch are critical components of the overall system for ensuring safety in aviation. The human factor is the critical component of these accidents. It is proposed to develop a generic integrated human factors safety management system for aircraft maintenance and dispatch, which will satisfy error tolerance requirements, based upon the following activities:
- Accident and incident data:
Data concerning accidents and incidents from existing databases and from proactive human factors safety auditing systems will be analysed and assessed in order to establish and prioritise the operational areas which are at risk and identify causal and contributory factors. Improved error classification systems will facilitate the integration of reactive incident analysis and proactive human factors auditing. New software systems will be developed to incorporate both reactive and proactive data.
- Technology:
Existing technology which supports maintenance and dispatch activities will be reviewed and a new demonstrator system implementing the user interface in a prioritised area will be developed and evaluated.
- Procedures and operational requirements:
Operational procedures will be investigated and reviewed in order to identify bottlenecks, system inefficiencies and sources of error or error intolerance. Improved procedures and will be incorporated in a standard human factors guide for aircraft maintenance and dispatch. Operational and statutory requirements for training will be reviewed, training needs identified and guidelines for training developed.
- Organisational and management systems:
The multi-organizational safety system of aircraft maintenance and dispatch will be evaluated in terms of the criteria for an error tolerant safety system. An organizational model will be developed and validated and critical junctures of this will be investigated in terms of human and technical resources, management practice and culture. This will produce recommendations for organizational development, and develop criteria of 'best practice' for benchmarking.

Fields of science

• natural sciences › computer and information sciences › databases
• natural sciences › computer and information sciences › software › software applications › system software
• engineering and technology › mechanical engineering › vehicle engineering › aerospace engineering › aircraft
• social sciences › economics and business › business and management
• social sciences › psychology › ergonomics

Programme(s)

• FP4-BRITE/EURAM 3 - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1994-1998

Topic(s)

• 030105 - Technologies for aircraft safety

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

The Provost Fellows and Scholars of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin hereinafter TCD

Address

25,trinity College
2 Dublin
Ireland

Participants (6)

BRITISH AIRWAYS PLC

United Kingdom

Address

Heathrow Airport
TW6 2JA London

Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA)

United Kingdom

Address

GU14 6TD Farnborough

European Communities - Commission of the European Communities Joint Research Centre

Italy

Address

Via E. Fermi 1
21020 Ispra

STICHTING NATIONAAL LUCHT- EN RUIMTEVAART LABORATORIUM

Netherlands

Address

2,anthony Fokkerweg 13
1059 CM Amsterdam

Sabena S.A.

Belgium

Address

1930 Zaventem

Scandinavian Airlines System

Sweden

Address

195 87 Stockholm