INGENIEUR
‘Human Factors’ Challenges
in the Aviation Industry
By Mohamad Faruqi Nazri
Learning & Development Director
Nadi Aero Consultants Sdn Bhd
T
he term ‘Human Factors’ refers to the study
of human capabilities and limitations in the
workplace. The study of ‘Human Factors’
is about understanding human behaviours and
performance which covers technical and non-
technical aspects. When applied to aerospace and
aviation operations, ‘Human Factors’ knowledge
is applied to optimise the fit between humans, the
systems and the environment in which they work,
in order to improve safety and performance. The
human factors that are studied include, but are not
limited to, such attributes as human physiology,
psychology, work place design, environmental
conditions, human-machine interface and many
more.
It is estimated that 80% of aviation incidents
and accidents are caused by human error. Human
performance has been recognised as the weakest
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Figure 1: The Wright Brothers’ first flight in
December 1903
point within the aviation and aerospace industry.
When flying started at the turn of the 20 th century,
technical advancements were rudimentary. The
main factors of accidents were technically based.
Today, technological advancement and safety
standards are such that the primary cause of
aircraft accidents is found to be human failure.