HUMAN PERFORMANCE & LIMITATIONS SPECIAL NOTE

Conducted by : Harsha Govinda Koralearachchi Bsc(Def) N0-404 ;Wanawasala; Kelaniya hgkochchi@gmail.com Tel- 0714163706/ 0112 934 664

HUMAN FACTORS IN AVIATION

 Human error is a certain element in flying. A change in biological rhythm causing

error is part of the Liveware/Environment portion of the shell model
 Using a three point altimeter and misreading is an example of a livewire/hardware
interaction problem
 The volume of oxygen in the atmosphere is constant at 21% throughout the
atmosphere which an aircraft can fly.
 Medical fitness requirements are given in the manual JAR-FCL
 The main sources of radiation at height is galactic radiation caused by galactic
particles and solar radiation caused by solar flares

ACCIDENT STATISTICS

 If an accident resulting from an incorrectly filed operations manual occurs that’s a

mismatch between liveware and software.
 There is hardly a single cause for an accident to happen
 Vibrations can cause blurred vision due to tuned oscillations of the eyeballs
 Most accidents are caused by a lack of good judgment

FLIGHT SAFETY CONCEPTS

 In the initial stages of flight training the pilot knows how to fly but has little
confidence in himself or the system
 Mistakes leading to error due faulty warning systems is an example of liveware
software interaction
 When a system is automated less attention is required and it frees up the mind for
other tasks and this requires the crew members to communicate even more effectively

BASICS OF FLIGHT PHYSIOLOGY

 The effects of galactic radiation increases with altitude, is steady and is easily
predictable
 In civil air transport, linear accelerations have slight physiological consequences but
may cause sensory illusions on the pitch axis
 The chemical composition of the Earth’s atmosphere is (ICAO) 78% Nitrogen, 21%
Oxygen, 0.9% Argon and 0.03% Carbon dioxide.
 The rate and depth of breathing is determined by the concentration of carbon dioxide
in the blood
 The average pulse of a healthy adult is 60-80 beats/min
 The time of useful consciousness is the time a person can stay alert both physically
and mentally and act from the time his oxygen supply is cut off
 Fear anxiety and distress are all causes for hyperventilation
 Oxygen and carbon dioxide are physiologically important to man
 During a climb or descent the tympanic membrane(ear drum) and Eustachian tubes
are affected and equalization between the middle ear and the ambient is limited when
the Eustachian tube is blocked
Conducted by : Harsha Govinda Koralearachchi Bsc(Def) N0-404 ;Wanawasala; Kelaniya hgkochchi@gmail.com Tel- 0714163706/ 0112 934 664
 Positive Gs cause pooling of blood to lower parts of the body resulting in a drop of
blood pressure above the heart level and downward displacement of organs.
 When you are hyperventilating breathing into a paper bag increases CO2 levels and is
caused by shortage of CO2 in the blood and when your CO2 levels are high you have
a shortness of breath
 Don’t dive and fly for 24 hrs
 With carbon monoxide poisoning you get headaches, increasing nausea and dizziness
 The heart gets the blood from the coronary arteries
 Hyperventilation can cause unconsciousness because blood circulation to the brain is
slowed down
 TUC at 35000’ 30-60 s
 Several days are needed to recover from CO poisoning
 Cyanosis(blue colour fingernails) exists only for hypoxia
 Hyperventilation makes blood alkaline
 Boyle’s law deals with expanding gases with an increasing altitude
 A healthy pressure would be 120/80
 The part of blood without cells is called plasma
 The circadian rhythm is based on 24hrs

MAN AND ENVIRONMENT: THE SENSORY SYSTEM

 A pilot trying to pick up something from the cockpit floor in a tight turn experiences
coriolis illusion
 Vertigo is the result of coriolis effect
 The semi circular canals form part of the inner ear
 Autokinetic illusion is when a bright object amidst darkness appears to move if stared
at for too long.

HEALTH AND HYGIENE

 Healthy people can compensate for a lack of oxygen to a height of 10000’-12000

 Aerotitis(middle ear) will be accompanied by difficulty in hearing
 The rate of metabolism of alcohol in the body is about 0.01-0.015mg % per hour
 Astigmatism is caused by a mis-shapened cornea
 To reduce the risk of heart disease you should exercise three times a week by
doubling the resting heart rate for at least 20 minutes
 Noise induced hearing loss is influenced by the duration and intensity of a noise
 Regular exercise is good for the health but control the diet if you want to lose weight
 Tar is a carcinogen
 Problem reasoning seem to appear as soon as the body temperature drops below 37
degrees.
 The retina can see colours due to the cones located in its central part

HUMAN INFORMATION PROCESSING

 The first stage in the information processing is sensory stimulation

 Working memory(currently using) is sensitive to interruptions which may erase all or
some of its content

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Conducted by : Harsha Govinda Koralearachchi Bsc(Def) N0-404 ;Wanawasala; Kelaniya hgkochchi@gmail.com Tel- 0714163706/ 0112 934 664
 The average capacity of short term memory is about 7 items and stays there for about
20 seconds
 The cocktail party effect is the ability to pickup information unintentionally
 Working memory for example helps us to remember a clearance long enough to write
it down
 The main limit of long term memory is difficulty in remembering and losing access to
it but its capacity is unlimited
 When you notice something not directly coming from a specific input channel, that’s
called ‘attention’
 The process of learning can be better facilitated by concentrating on positive
performances

HUMAN ERROR AND RELIABLITY

 Human performance is better when relaxed independent of time

 To cope with low error tolerant situations it is a good idea to cross monitor and cross
check
 The most important performance aspect of the man-machine model is reduce pilot
workload at the same time increase his time for supervision
 Age has little impact on pilot performance since it is compensated for by experience
 An incorrect waypoint in the database is an example of a latent failure/error

DECISION MAKING

 The desire to be integrated into the system, to be seen as a leader or to avoid conflicts
may lead to attempts to agree on decisions made by other crew members
 To avoid wrong decisions by the pilot the aircraft system should be able to at least
report its malfunction
 In the process of decision making if you are in a hurry you might overlook the
problem in order to apply the decision prepared beforehand
 Decision making results in a choice between different solutions for achieving a goal

AVOIDING AND MANAGING ERRORS

o In glass cockpit aircraft, communication between crew members does not lose its
importance
o The team spirit of a cockpit crew most likely depends on both pilots respecting each
other and striving for the same goals

PERSONALITY

o An ideal professional pilot is both person and goal oriented in his behavior
o A high level of motivation is related to a high level of arousal
o Extremely high motivation combined with excessive stress will limit attention
management capabilities
o Excess motivation leads to stress resulting in a decline of performance

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Conducted by : Harsha Govinda Koralearachchi Bsc(Def) N0-404 ;Wanawasala; Kelaniya hgkochchi@gmail.com Tel- 0714163706/ 0112 934 664
HUMAN OVERLOAD AND UNDERLOAD

o Stress promotes an increase in physical strength rather than promoting mental

performance
o Concentration is essential for pilots however the capacity of concentration is limited
o The resistance phase of stress reaction is characterized by the activation of the
autonomic nervous system and the appearance of psychosomatic disorders when
lasting over a long time
o The most decisive factor in a high stress situation is the subjective evaluation of the
situation by the individual
o During paradoxical sleep rapid eye movements can be observed
o The maintenance of man’s internal equilibrium is called homeostasis

ADVANCED COCKPIT AUTOMATION

o An increase in cockpit automation will come with a reduction in crew attention

causing them to be out of the loop
o Automation complacency occurs during those portions of the flight that is completely
automated causing the pilot to be bored an inattentive.

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Conducted by : Harsha Govinda Koralearachchi Bsc(Def) N0-404 ;Wanawasala; Kelaniya hgkochchi@gmail.com Tel- 0714163706/ 0112 934 664