HG67 Aviation Management

Using one of the following flight situations (decompression of the aircraft following a bird strike, losing both engines soon after take-off due to a bird strike), you need to focus on a specific sub-task (e.g. flying, communications to ATC, landing, cruise, changing height, maintenance etc):

1. Provide a brief overview of the task

2. After you have completed the task (and operationally are in a safe environment), complete a NASA TLX questionnaire for the task (please see guidance below about NASA-TLX questionnaire you could use the following site when completing the questionnaire : https://www.keithv.com/software/nasatlx/nasatlx.html ). You will only need to complete the six rating scales and not the paired-comparisons task (you must include the completed questionnaire with your answer).

3. Using the scored you have given each of the six factors, write a brief description of why you think you scored them in that way and what the ratings mean for the task you have analysed.

4. If you were to compare your ratings with another person (or group of people), how might you set up a study to do this and what types of data might you collect?

The word limits are for guidance only. You can include bullet points in your answer if that helps with the word limit.

Learning Outcomes attached to this assessment as follows:
Explain the different categories of data that can be collected in a human factors study (levels of data) and their presentation

Explain the advantages and limitations of data collection techniques such as experimental/quasi experimental approaches; surveys; case studies; archival analysis.

Exceptional evidence of innovation, creative thinking and originality in evaluation and or selection and use of evidence and arguments. 

Introduction:

The task involves managing a situation that includes losing both engines soon after take-off due to a bird strike. Losing of both engines is a matter of concern primarily to the pilot given that it can be fatal. It is thus imperative to consider adopting various steps that can help in curbing the alarming situation. In the case, it is crucial for the pilot to immediately establish a safe landing on land or water where he can safely take a look at the intensity of the situation and communicate to the maintenance team that will aid in correcting the situation (Quddus 2016).

Click on each scale at the point that best indicates your experience in the task

One each of the following 15 screens, click on the scale title that represents the more important contributor to the workload for the task.

Click on the factor that represents the more important contributor to the workload for the task.

Brief explanation of the six rating scale

To begin with, regarding the mental demand, a score of 13 was awarded given that the solving of the task was demanding due to the fatality of the problem. There was also the need to critically think about the most precise and achievable decisions that could save the situation. Physical demand also had a score of 13 due to the intensive controlling that was required to get the aircraft to land. Also, there was a bit of maintenance that was done to fully correct the situation (Stables and New, 2013, September). On the other hand, temporal demand had a score of 18 because there was intense time pressure on an immediate landing given that the bird strike was so destructive to the engines. There was needed to act very fast.

Moreover, the  performance  scale was awarded a  score  of 2  that  indicates a successful  task  that   had  fully controlled  the situation. The  effort  that was  engaged  was  scored  at 15  that   showcases that extra effort was to be engaged  to make  sure  that the  aircraft  had a safe landing (Royce 2015). Lastly on  the  frustration  scale,  the  score was 3 given that  such occurrences  are  expected though  with minimal probabilities , fear was felt though  at a low rate. The ratings indicate that the task was successfully accomplished given the scores.

Comparing ratings

• In a situation that would call for a comparison of ratings, then it would be efficient to carry out a study on the same.
• The study will involve a sample size of say 30 participants that will incorporate passengers, pilots, and other plane staffs.  The study will focus on attaining information on the experiences of the individuals in the case of a bird strike that led to a failure of the engines(Garcia 2016).
• The passengers will be engaged in interviews about their experiences in the situation that they encountered and the response rate of the pilots that were on board.  On the other hand, one could engage the same interviews to the plane staffs and the pilots.  
• For the convenience of the participants, the interviews will be conducted over mail. In the case of the pilots, their questionnaires on the task will be assessed with them required to give their reasons for the scores (Viljoen, and Bouwman, 2016). 
• The individual factors will be compared against their prioritizations in their intensity for both the researcher and the other party. An overall rating will be awarded that will amount to the overall weight. The weights will be compared against each other regarding the highest. A higher weight will indicate an excellent handling of the task. Also, the narrative analysis will be conducted to analyze the data from the questionnaires and the attitudes of the participants also used in determining the mean score(Bailey et al. 2017).
• The data types collected will include the primary data that will incorporate the attitudes of the participants that is the passengers and the six scale data of the pilots. That will be verified to compare better the results where each variable will be compared to another.

Bibliography

Bailey, R.E., Kramer, L.J., Kennedy, K.D., Stephens, C.L. and Etherington, T.J., 2017, An Assessment of Reduced Crew and Single Pilot Operations in Commercial Transport  Aircraft Operations.

Garcia, AC 2016, 'Air traffic communications in routine and emergency contexts: A case study of Flight 1549 ‘miracle on the Hudson', Journal of Pragmatics, vol 106, pp. 57-71.

Quddus, M 2016, ' Aviation safety and security', Air Transport Management: An International Perspective, p. 191.

Royce, R 2015, The jet engine, John Wiley & Sons.

Stables, E.R. and New, N.D 2013, September, 'Birds and aircraft: the problems.', In The Problems of Birds as Pests: Proceedings of a Symposium Held at the Royal Geographical Society, on 28 and 29 September 1967, London.

Viljoen, I.M., and Bouwman, H. 2016, 'Conflicting traffic: characterization of the hazards of birds flying across an airport runway', African Journal of Ecology, vol 54, no. 3, pp. 308-316.