Eastern minds in western cockpits: A cross-cultural comparison of aviation mishaps by applying human factors analysis and classification system

Aviation accident rates are varied in different regions; Asia and Africa have higher rates than Europe and America. There has been a great deal of discussion about the role of culture in aviation mishaps, however, culture is hardly ever mentioned as a causal factor of accidents. It is hypothesized that different cultures will show different patterns in the underlying causal factors in aircraft accidents. Method: This research examined statistical differences in the 18 categories of HFACS across accidents in the Republic of China (Taiwan, a feminine, collectivist, strong uncertainty avoidance, and high power-distance culture); India (a masculine, collectivist, weak uncertainty avoidance, and high power-distance culture); and the USA (a small power distance, weak uncertainty avoidance, individualist, and masculine culture). Results: Ten HFACS categories exhibited significant differences (p<0.05) between these three regions. These were related to organizational processes; organizational climate; resource management; inadequate supervision; personal readiness; physical/mental limitations; adverse physiological states; adverse mental states; skilled-based errors; and decision errors. The pattern of results was congruent with what would be expected from Hofstede’s descriptions of national culture. Conclusion: Culture may be a soft issue in aviation operations, but it certainly can have hard consequences. Overall, the evidence from this research supports the observation that national cultures have an impact on aviation safety but adds further explanatory power with regards to why this should be so.