Chapter 7

HUMAN FACTORS IN AVIATION MAINTENANCE

Created by :
MAYA PUTRI CLAUDIA
M WILDAN NUMANSYAH
R MAHENDRA SUDRAJAT W
SYAIFUL ADYAKSA K
1 AERO B
Aeronautical Engineering Study
Program


Introduction
Good communication in aircraft maintenance
engineering is vital.
Communication is often cited as a contributor
to aviation incidents and accidents.

Definition
Communication is defined in the
Penguin Dictionary of Psychology
as:
The transmission of
something from one location
to another. The thing that is
transmitted may be a
message, a signal, a meaning,
etc. In order to have
communication both the
transmitter and the receiver
must share a common code,
so that the meaning or
information contained in the
message may be interpreted
without error. Source: Reber,
A.S., 1995
1


A Model of Communication
Communication errors can take the form of messages
sent but not received (A) or messages received but not
sent (C).
Effective communication is represented by area B. The
process of communication occurs in a context of noise,
not only unwanted sound, but also other impediments to
communication such as unclear speech or poor listening
skills.
The error rate for verbal communication in industrial
settings has been estimated to be around 3 per cent.

Subjects to Communicate
An aircraft maintenance engineer might
regularly communicate:
information;
ideas;
feelings;
attitudes and beliefs

Modes of Communication
As can be seen in the above definition,
communication can be:
verbal/spoken - a single word, a phrase or
sentence, a grunt;
written/textual - printed words,hand written
notes;
non-verbal -
graphic - e.g. pictures, diagrams, hand drawn sketches,
indications on a cockpit instrument;
symbolic - e.g. thumbs up, wave of the hand, nod of
the head;
body language - e.g. facial expressions, touch such as a
pat on the back, posture.

Verbal and Written Communication
Generally speaking, verbal and written
communication are purposeful. For a spoken or
written message to be understood, the sender has
to make sure that the receiver:
is using the same channel of communication;
recognises and understands his language;
is able to make sense of the messages
meaning;
For spoken communication, this might be face-to-face, or via the
telephone.
Written messages might be notes, memos, documents or e-mails.

Non-verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication can accompany verbal
communication. It can also be used when verbal
communication is impossible, such as a nod of the head
in a noisy environment.
Body language can be very subtle, but often quite
powerful
Within and Between Teams
aircraft maintenance engineers often work as teams.
Individuals within teams exchange information and need
to receive instructions, guidance, etc.
An engineer needs a good understanding of the various
processes of communication, as without this, it is
impossible to appreciate how communication can go
wrong.

Communication Within Teams
Individual aircraft maintenance engineers
need to communicate:
before starting a task - to find out what
to do;
during a task - to discuss work in
progress,
at the end of a task - to report its
completion and highlight any problems.

Communication Within Teams
Spoken communication makes up a large proportion
of day-to-day communication within teams in aircraft
maintenance. It relies both on clear transmission of the
message
Good communication within a team helps to maintain
group cohesion.
Spoken messages provide considerable flexibility and
informality to express work-related matters when
necessaryThe key to such communication is to use
words effectively and obtain feedback to make sure your
message has been heard and understood.

Communication Between
Teams
Communication between teams is critical in
aircraft maintenance engineering. This usually
occurs at shift handover. The information
conveyed will include:
tasks that have been completed;
tasks in progress, their status, any
problems encountered, etc.;
tasks to be carried out;
general company and technical information.

Communication Between
Teams
Communication between teams will involve passing on
written reports of tasks from one shift supervisor to
another. Ideally, this should be backed up by spoken
details passed between supervisors and, where
appropriate, individual engineers
Furthermore, information communicated at shift
handover ensures good continuity
Communication Problems
There are two main ways in which communication can
cause problems. These are :
- lack of communication
- poor communication.
Both problems can lead to subsequent human error.


Communication Problems
Communication also goes wrong when one of the parties
involved makes some kind of assumption.
The sender of a message may assume that the receiver
understands the terms he has used.
The receiver of a message may assume that the
message means one thing when in fact he has
misinterpreted it.
Problems with assumptions can be minimised if
messages are unambiguous and proper feedback is
given.

Communication Problems
Basic rules of thumb to help aircraft
maintenance engineers minimise poor
communication are:
think about what you want to say before
speaking or writing;
speak or write clearly;
listen or read carefully;
seek clarification wherever necessary.

Work Logging and Recording
The most critical aspects of communication
within aviation maintenance, since inadequate
logging or recording of work has been cited as
a contributor to several incidents.
Even if engineers think that they are going to complete a
job, it is always necessary to keep the record of work
up-to-date just in case the job has to be handed over.
This may not necessarily be as a result of a shift change,
but might be due to a rest break, illness, the need to
move to another (possibly more urgent) task, etc.

Keeping Up-to-Date, Currency
To maintain his currency, he must keep abreast of pertinent
information relating to:
new aircraft types or variants;
new technologies and new aircraft systems;
new tools and maintenance practices;
modifications to current aircraft and systems he works
on;
revised maintenance procedures and practices.
Engineers are likely to keep up-to-date by:
undertaking update courses;
reading briefing material, memos and bulletins;
studying maintenance manual amendments.


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