Abstract
Robust error management within the cockpit is crucial to aviation safety. Crew resource management (CRM) focuses on non-technical skills for error management but the training of technical skills for error detection and error recovery is also a potentially valuable strategy. We propose a theoretical basis for training technical skills in error management as well as a cognitively oriented technique for analysing accidents and incidents to identify specific training requirements. To evaluate the strengths and limitations of this new approach, we present a case study of its application to the F-111, a strike aircraft in the Royal Australian Air Force. This case study demonstrates that the new training approach is both feasible and useful, although an empirical validation of the approach is still necessary. In addition, the case study highlights the limitations of the current F-111 simulator for training technical skills for error detection and error recovery.
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Notes
We use a hypothetical accident because information about actual F-111 accidents is classified.
We are not able to describe the F-111 training requirements in this paper due to the classified nature of this material.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the following people: the Air Combat Group of the Royal Australian Air Force for sponsoring this work, the Directorate of Flying Safety and 82 Wing of the Royal Australian Air Force for their support, the F-111 aircrew and the training instructors of 1 and 6 Squadrons for giving up their valuable time for interviews, Lee Horsington, Dominic Drumm, Julia Clancy and Robyn Hopcroft from the Defence Science and Technology Organisation for their assistance on this project, Gary Klein and Laura Militello of Klein Associates for their advice on the critical decision method and Gavan Lintern from Aptima, Inc. and Russell Martin from the Defence Science and Technology Organisation for their comments on this paper.
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Naikar, N., Saunders, A. Crossing the boundaries of safe operation: An approach for training technical skills in error management. Cogn Tech Work 5, 171–180 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-003-0125-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-003-0125-z