Browsing by Author "Hsu, Yueh-Ling"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Airline Safety Management: The development of a proactive safety mechanism model for the evolution of safety management system
    (Cranfield University, 2004-08) Hsu, Yueh-Ling; Taylor, A. Frank
    The systemic origins of many accidents have led to heightened interest in the way in which organisations identify and manage risks within the airline industry. The activities which are thought to represent the term "organisational accident", "safety culture" and "proactive approach" are documented and seek to explain the fact that airlines differ in their willingness and ability to conduct safety management. However, an important but yet relatively undefined task in the airline industry is to conceptualise the safety mechanism in proactive safety, and its influential factors. What is required is a model of a proactive safety mechanism which builds upon existing knowledge of what is thought to contribute to safety by adding an increased knowledge of the organisational factors. These factors not only serve to influence the safety mechanism, but also serve to be the predictors of the performance of safety management system. This thesis aims to fill that gap. It firstly conducts an overview of the current airline safety management system literature and identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the current system. Given the need to explore the important but undefined field, a proactive safety mechanism model is then developed and tested to identify the organisational factors which exert an influence upon the safety mechanism. Four hypotheses were set out to be tested in an attempt to justify the multi-dimensional and complex nature of the safety mechanism model. The model is then tested by applying it to a past accident (case study) and a survey of opinions with questionnaire. The results of this research work show that the safety mechanism model is a model of the evolution of safety management system in the context of proactive safety management. Further study can apply the proposed model to the re-organisation of an airline safety management system and evaluate the impact upon the company's system. It leads to the suggestion that an airline's safety health and performance needs the co-ordination of both retroactive and proactive safety management, and concludes that the ultimate contribution of this research is to provide airlines with reliable data, applicable references and a practicable methodology to enable their safety management system to evolve at a fundamentally "genetic" level.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    The analysis of occurrences associated with air traffic volume and air traffic controllers’ alertness for fatigue risk management
    (Wiley, 2020-09-13) Li, Wen‐Chin; Kearney, Peter; Zhang, Jingyi; Hsu, Yueh-Ling; Braithwaite, Graham
    Fatigue is an inevitable hazard in the provision of air traffic services and it has the potential to degrade human performance leading to occurrences. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requires air navigation services which providers establish fatigue risk management systems (FRMS) based on scientific principles for the purpose of managing fatigue. To develop effective FRMSs, it is important to investigate the relationship between traffic volume, air traffic management occurrences, and fatigue. Fifty‐seven qualified ATCOs from a European Air Navigation Services provider participated in this research by providing data indicating their alertness levels over the course of a 24‐hour period. ATCOs’ fatigue data were compared against the total of 153 occurrences and 962,328 air traffic volumes from the Eurocontrol TOKAI incident database in 2019. The result demonstrated that ATCO fatigue levels are not the main contributory factor associated with air traffic management occurrences, although fatigue did impact ATCOs’ performance. High traffic volume increases ATCO cognitive task load that can surpass available attention resources leading to occurrences. Furthermore, human resilience drives ATCOs to maintain operational safety though they suffer from circadian fatigue. Consequently, FRMS appropriately implemented can be used to mitigate the effects of fatigue. First‐line countermeasure strategies should focus on enough rest breaks and roster schedule optimization; secondary strategies should focus on monitoring ATCOs’ task loads that may induce fatigue. It is vital to consider traffic volume and ATCOs’ alertness levels when implementing effective fatigue risk management protocols.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    The application of aeronautical decision-making support systems for improving pilots' performance in flight operations
    (Aeronautical and Astronautical Society of the Republic of China, 2014-06-01) Li, Wen-Chin; Li, Lun-Wen; Harris, Don; Hsu, Yueh-Ling
    Operating a high-technology commercial airliner is not only an issue in psychomotor skill performance but also of a real-time decision-making involving situation awareness and risk management within a limited-time condition. The number of aircraft accidents attributable solely to mechanical failures has decreased markedly in recent years, but the contribution of human error has declined at a much slower rate. Previous research demonstrated a belief rule-based decision support system has provided more reliable and informative performance after training. The purpose of this research was to identify the best mnemonic-based method of decision support systems for improving commercial pilot's performance in the advanced cockpit. A total of 157 airline pilots, all qualified on the Boeing 747-400 evaluated the suitability of four different ADM methods: SHOR (Stimuli, Hypotheses, Options, Response); PASS (Problem identification, Acquire information, Survey strategy, Select strategy); FORDEC (Facts, Options, Risks & Benefits, Decision, Execution, Check); and DESIDE (Detect, Estimate, Set safety objectives, Identify, Do, Evaluate). Each was evaluated for six different types of decisions: go/no go; recognition-primed; response selection; resource management; non-diagnostic procedural; and creative problem-solving. Pilots regarded the FORDEC methodology as being the best in all decision-making scenarios, irrespective of the time available to make the decision. It was also rated as the best ADM method for promoting crew coordination. However, it was advised that practicing the FORDEC mnemonic in flight simulator was important before attempting to apply it in a real life situation.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Formal error prediction: The evaluation of standard operating procedures in a large commercial transport aircraft
    (Air Transport Research Society, 2009) Li, Wen-Chin; Hsu, Yueh-Ling; Chang, Danny; Wang, Thomas; Harris, Don
    This research applies the latest formal technique for human error prediction - Human Error Template (HET) - to evaluate standard operating procedures for performing a go-around in a large commercial transport aircraft. HET was originally developed in response to the requirement for formal methods to assess compliance with the new large civil aircraft human factors certification rule introduced to reduce the incidence of design-induced error on the flight deck (EASA Certification Specification 25.1302). A total of 67 Aircraft B pilots participated in this study including 25 captains and 42 first officers. This research finds that there are three types of errors with high likelihood committed by pilots during performing go-around, ‘Fail to execute’; ‘Task execution incomplete’; and ‘Task executed too late’. Therefore, there is a raising need to investigate further impact to flight safety for such errors occurred. Many of the errors that were found were the types of errors that most pilots were aware of and have simply had to accept on the flight deck. It is hoped that human factors certification standards would help to ensure that many of these errors are not included on future aircraft.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Human error prevention: using the human error template to analyze errors in a large transport aircraft for human factors considerations
    (2009-10-01T00:00:00Z) Li, Wen-Chin; Harris, Don; Stanton, Neville A.; Hsu, Yueh-Ling; Chang, Danny; Wang, Thomas; Young, Hong-Tsu
    Flight crews make positive contributions to the safety of aviation operations. Pilots have to assess continuously changing situations, evaluate potential risks and make quick decisions. However, even well trained and experienced pilots make errors. Accident investigations have identified that pilots’ performance is influenced significantly by the design of the flight deck interface. This research applies Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) and utilizes the - Human Error Template (HET) taxonomy - to collect error data from pilots during flight operations when performing a go-around in a large commercial transport aircraft. HET was originally developed in response to a requirement for formal methods to assess compliance with the new human factors certification rule for large civil aircraft introduced to reduce the incidence of design-induced error on the flight deck (EASA Certification Specification 25.1302). The HET taxonomy was applied to each bottom level task step in an HTA of the flight task in question. A total of 67 pilots participated in this research including 12 instructor pilots, 18 ground training instructor, and 37 pilots. Initial results found that participants identified 17 operational steps with between two and eight different operational errors being identified in each step by answering to the questions based either on his/her own experience or their knowledge of the same mistakes made previously by others. Sixty-five different errors were identified. The data gathered from this research will help to improve safety when performing a go-around by identifying potential errors on a step-by-step basis and allowing early remedial actions in procedures and crew coordination to be made.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Investigating accidents related to errors of aeronautical decision-making in flight operations
    (2010-09-16T00:00:00Z) Li, Wen-Chin; Harris, Don; Li, Lun-Wen; Hsu, Yueh-Ling; Wang, Thomas
    Aeronautical decision-making (ADM) is defined by the FAA (1991) as ‘a systematic approach to the mental process used by aircraft pilots to consistently determine the best course of action in response to a given set of circumstances’. Jensen and Benel (1977) found that decision errors contributed to 35% of all nonfatal and 52% of all fatal general aviation accidents in the United States. Diehl (1991) proposed that decision errors contributed to 56% of airline accidents and 53% of military accidents. This research analyzes 51 accident reports obtained from ROC Aviation Safety Council (ASC) published between 1999 and 2008. Each accident report was independently analyzed using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) framework (Weigmann and Shappell, 2003). The presence or the absence of each HFACS category was evaluated from the narrative of each accident report. Statistical relationships linking fallible decisions in upper management were found to directly affect supervisory practices, thereby creating the psychological preconditions for unsafe acts and hence indirectly impairing the performance of pilots’ decision-making. It was observed that 68% of accidents in this sample included a decision error. The results show clearly defined, statistically-described paths with pre-cursors to decision errors at both the immediately adjacent and also higher levels in the organization. This study provides an understanding, based upon empirical evidence, of how actions and decisions at higher managerial levels in the operation of commercial aircraft result in decision errors on the flight deck and subsequent accidents. To reduce the accident rate resulting from decision errors in flight operations the ‘paths to failure’ relating to these organizational and human factors issues must be addressed.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Understanding pilots’ cognitive processes for making in-flight decisions under stress
    (2011-09-16T00:00:00Z) Li, Wen-Chin; Harris, Don; Hsu, Yueh-Ling; Wang, Thomas
    In flight operations, pilots are confronted with many problems that occur in continually changing situations that create a level of stress and lead to accidents. To make rapid decisions, pilots make decisions using a holistic process involving situation recognition and pattern matching. This research investigated 157 pilots from a B747 fleet to find out how pilots make in-flight decision in such stressful situations. The research method is based upon evaluating the situational awareness, risk management, response time and applicability of four different decision-making mnemonics in six in-flight scenarios. The data obtained in this research suggests that the FOR-DEC may be suitable as a basis for providing training which will be applicable for covering all basic types of decision. FOR-DEC was evaluated as the most applicable mnemonic-based decision making process across the six different scenarios used. It also had significantly superior performance compared with the other three mnemonic-based methods evaluated (SHOR, PASS & DESIDE) when making recognition-primed decisions, response selection decisions, non-diagnostic procedural decisions, and problem-solving decisions.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Using HET taxonomy to help stop human error
    (2010-07-01T00:00:00Z) Li, Wen-Chin; Harris, Don; Stanton, Neville A.; Hsu, Yueh-Ling; Chang, Danny; Wang, Thomas; Young, Hong-Tsu
    Flight crews make positive contributions to the safety of aviation operations. Pilots have to assess continuously changing situations, evaluate potential risks, and make quick decisions. However, even well-trained and experienced pilots make errors. Accident investigations have identified that pilots’ performance is influenced significantly by the design of the flightdeck interface. This research applies hierarchical task analysis (HTA) and utilizes the Human Error Template (HET) taxonomy to collect error data from pilots during flight operations when performing a go-around in a large commercial transport aircraft.