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Human Factors and Helicopter Accidents: An Analysis Using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS)

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Book cover Advances in Human Aspects of Transportation (AHFE 2018)

Part of the book series: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing ((AISC,volume 786))

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Abstract

Due to their maneuverability and operational flexibility, helicopters have become an important alternative means of transport in great metropolitan areas in Brazil in the last decade. Nonetheless, the number of helicopter accidents has increased in parallel. From 2006 to 2015, 211 accidents occurred and 1030 people died. The main aim of this article is to examine the causal factors that lead to the human error in the helicopter accidents which occurred in Brazil between 2006 and 2015 using HFACS. The most frequent HFACS categories were: decision error (68%), skill-based errors (59%), violations (33%), physical environment (15%), issues with inadequate supervision (46%), and organizational processes (15%). By identifying the higher level human errors leading to helicopter accidents, HFACS is useful a tool for accident investigations and accident prevention strategies. The current study provides practical suggestions for top managers for a better helicopter operational safety environment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil

    Anastácio Pinto Gonçalves Filho, Carlos Souza, Eduardo Siqueira, Mozart Anderson & Tales Vasconcelos

Authors
  1. Anastácio Pinto Gonçalves Filho
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  2. Carlos Souza
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  3. Eduardo Siqueira
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  4. Mozart Anderson
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  5. Tales Vasconcelos
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anastácio Pinto Gonçalves Filho .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, Transportation Research Group, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

    Neville Stanton

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Filho, A.P.G., Souza, C., Siqueira, E., Anderson, M., Vasconcelos, T. (2019). Human Factors and Helicopter Accidents: An Analysis Using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS). In: Stanton, N. (eds) Advances in Human Aspects of Transportation. AHFE 2018. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 786. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93885-1_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93885-1_10

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-93884-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-93885-1

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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