Human Factors in Air Cargo Operations: An Analysis Using HFACS

Year 2020, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 101 - 114, 30.08.2020

Bilal Kılıc , Selen Gundogdu

Abstract

Human factors are the primary causal factor of freight-aircraft accidents. Despite the sustained safety improvements in civil aviation, the number of accidents in air cargo transportation remains stubbornly high. The present paper aims to classify the causal factors of freight-aircraft accidents. In this study, we examined investigation reports of 15 freight-aircraft accidents occurred over the past decade. For the analysis of causal factors, HFACS (Human Factors Analysing and Classification System) was used as a comprehensive human error framework. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that examined the causal factors of freight-aircraft accidents by using HFACS. Based on the results, skill-based errors were the primary contributing factors, followed by inadequate supervision and technological environment as the second and third most significant contributing factors. The results presented here may provide important insights into the causality of freight-aircraft accidents and help organizations (e.g., airlines and air-cargo operators) and individuals (e.g., pilots, loadmasters, and ground handling staff) to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

Keywords

human factors, accident investigation, HFACS, Air Cargo

Thanks

We would like to express our deep gratitude to the National Transportation Safety Board for providing accident reports upon which the HFACS analysis was performed.

Hava Kargo Operasyonlarında İnsan Faktörleri: HFACS ile Bir Analizi

Abstract

İnsan faktörü kargo uçağı kazalarına sebep olan başlıca faktörlerdendir. Sivil havacılıktaki aralıksız emniyet gelişmelerine rağmen, hava kargo taşımacılığında meydana gelen kazaların sayısı inatla yüksek seviyelerdedir. Bu makalenin amacı kargo uçağı kazalarına sebep veren faktörleri sınıflandırmaktır. Bu çalışmada, son 10 yıl içinde meydana gelen 15 kargo uçağı kazası incelenmiştir. Kazalara sebep olan faktörlerin analizi için kapsamlı bir insan faktörleri analiz aracı olan HFACS kullanılmıştır. Bu çalışma bildiğimiz kadarıyla kargo uçakları kazalarını HFACS ile inceleyen ilk çalışma özelliğini taşımaktadır. Elde edilen sonuçlara göre kazalara sebep veren faktörler arasında birincil faktör olarak yetenek hataları bulunmuştur. Yetersiz yönetim ve teknolojik çevre ise ikinci ve üçüncü en yüksek oranlara sahip faktörlerdir. Burada sunulan bulgular kargo uçaklarının kazalarına sebep veren faktörlerin iç yüzünün anlaşılmasını sağlayabilir ve şirketlerin (örn. havayolları ve hava kargo şirketleri) ve kişilerin (örn. pilotlar, kargo yükleme uzmanları ve yer hizmetleri görevlileri) benzer kazaları önlemelerine yardımcı olabilir.

Keywords

Kaza Araştırmaları, İnsan Faktörleri, HFACS, Hava Kargo

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