18 Feb Human Factors in a thimble ®
Vortex generators -all in a row! Author’s collection
Human Factors in a thimble ®
Professional Pilot, CRM/HF Facilitator and Examiner
An unforgettable lesson in SA
On a regional commercial flight, I experienced an incident related to Human Factors which reinforced all being taught to personnel in High Risk Operations. I was sitting in the last row of seats in a B 777 at the window on this particular flight – a great place to observe the flap extensions and speed brakes. After a normal and uneventful pushback, we started taxing to the active runway. Two flight attendants were strapped in diagonally behind me. Both of them were carrying on a conversation that all in the vicinity could hear. We held short of the active for an A/C on finals after which we lined up. The aircraft was on the active runway for over 10 seconds. The two flight attendants were still carrying on their animated conversation. The power was increased thereafter leading to the A/C starting the take-off roll. The A/C had started its acceleration. Ca. 15 seconds into the take-off roll, power was abruptly brought back to idle. I was already looking back and waving at the two flight attendants who were still talking to each other! One of them immediately told me “later, later”. I guess they thought that I wanted a drink (!). The A/C was decelerating by this time, and I guess aiming for the next taxiway. I unbuckled the seat belt, turned around and knelt in my seat to inform the attendants that there might be an emergency. Seeing me without my seat belt on, brought out an immediate response of “buckle up, buckle up” from one of the flight attendants! I informed them that we had aborted the take-off and were taxing, perhaps back to the terminal, whereas there might be an emergency. By this time the Captain was on the intercom informing everybody that there was a serious malfunction and that we were taxing back for a ground check.
Both flight attendants thanked me later for informing them of the situation whereas I told them that it is the duty of passengers, to be assertive if abnormalities are noted during a flight(remember Kegworth?) What one flight attendant told me thereafter completely floored me. “You were sitting by the window and therefore could see what was going on”!
I did not see anything amiss, but I certainly heard that something was amiss! One does not need to be a super human to observe what goes on around you! The two flight attendants, considering the high risk scenario, should have been observing a sterile environment during taxing and the take off roll. Had they been silent and attentive, they would have been immediately alerted “to the changes in the environment within vicinity”; i.e. the change in the engine speeds and the resulting deceleration. Situational Awareness is not only practiced utilising sight but also by fully utilising other sensory organs!
I use this case study frequently during HF/CRM facilitation to emphasise the importance of “adherence to SOPs”, “sterile cockpits and environments during high risk operations” not to mention “augmentation of SA”.
Senarat Jayasekera senaratj@gmail.com
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