Human Factors and Aviation Accidents

 

Teamwork and communication are key human factors in aviation.  If you think about the process involved just to fly an airplane, it requires so many different touchpoints and trust. Every time you talk with the tower, there is an opportunity for misinterpretation of a directive that can cause an unintentional accident or loss of life. Or, worse, a lack of reaction causing a bad situation that could have been prevented. There was an incident that occurred in late 2021 involving two T38C-Talon aircraft that unfortunately resulted in a student pilot dying and two injured Air Force flight instructors. This collision accident involved two planes and happened because of poor communication and failure of the flight instructor to have situational awareness of the problem in the air.  Many aviation related accidents like this occur due to crew miscommunication or between the pilot and the ATC.  The importance of clear communication cannot be overstated.

Johnson, K. (2022, June 1). Air Force Probe: Miscommunication Led To Fatal Crash. FLYING Magazine. https://www.flyingmag.com/air-force-probe-miscommunication-led-to-fatal-crash/