Identification And Discussion Of The Problems Experienced In Aviation (Essay Sample)

Safety in Aviation Name Institutional Affiliation Safety in Aviation Statement of the Problem Safety is one of the major issues facing aviation in the contemporary world. Pilots have historically been known to cause errors, which may sometimes be fatal when taking back control of the aircraft from the autopilot system that is generally highly effective. The autopilot system works so well that humans rarely assume control of the aircraft except during takeoff and landing. Various players in the industry have formulated several measures that strive to improve safety in aviation. Since the 1990s, new training regimes have been introduced in an effort to improve aviation safety. The cases highlight the importance of safety issues in aviation and some of the challenges that companies in the industry face as they try to improve aviation safety (Barnett, 2010). Human factors are one of the major aircraft safety hazards. The pilot may be misled by information on a printed document, such as a map, which may lead to an accident. The pilot may also react to a faulty instrument or indicator, which may have dire consequences. Stalling, which refers to increasing the angle of attack of an aircraft such that the wings do not produce enough lift, is also one of the factors that may lead to accidents. The probability of an accident increases if the pilot fails to correct the error in a timely manner (Oster, Strong, and Zorn,2013). Improper communication is also one of the major factors that lead to accidents. The accidents may occur in the air or on the ground. It is vital for the flight crew to have situational awareness (Croft, 2016). Single pilot resource management training strives to reduce accidents that occur due to human factors. The air crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 is one of the cases where human factors led to an accident. The air crash was caused by the pilot’s failure to monitor the flight instruments properly. Pilot fatigue is also one of the major human factors that compromise aviation safety. Pilot fatigue...