Unmanned Piloting Report: Human Factors, HFACS, Safety and Accidents

This report explores the critical aspects of unmanned piloting, with a focus on human factors and the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS). It addresses the increasing number of UAV accidents, highlighting human error as a major contributing factor. The report discusses the concept of 'shared fate' and its role in pilot safety, as well as the application of the Swiss Cheese Model for accident investigation. It details the different levels of failure within the HFACS framework, including unsafe acts, preconditions, supervision, and organizational influences. The report also references key research on unmanned aerial vehicle piloting systems, motion cueing, and pilot evaluation to improve UAV pilot performance, create training programs, and ultimately decrease UAV accidents.

Running head: UNMANNED PILOTING
UNMANNED PILOTING
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1UNMANNED PILOTING
Discussions
The full form of HFACS is Human Factor Analysis and Classification System and the
behavioural scientists in the Navy of United States created it. One of the factors that is
sometimes cited in order to keep a pilot in charge is known as share fate. That is the
reassurance that the passengers in the aircraft get from knowing the fact that the human those
are in the cockpit of the aircraft wants to live just as much as the pilots want to live.
However, shared fate is not the only way, or even the normal way in order to make sure safe
service (Hing & Oh, 2009). The model in HFACS where the concept of shared fate can be
considered is the Swiss Cheese Model. The Swiss Cheese Model takes an approach of
systems to investigation of accident. With the help of this approach, the error that is made by
the humans is seen as symptoms of a problem those are larger in the organization and not the
major cause of the accident. In this model, the shared fate can be considered (Karthick,
Kumar & Robert, 2020).
The level of failures in the HFACS framework includes the following:
 The acts of the operators those are not safe
 Preconditions for the acts those are unsafe
 Supervision those are not safe
 Influences of the organization
Within each of the levels of HFACS, the categories were created those are casual that
recognise the latent and the active failures. In theory, at least one of the failure will happen at
each of the levels that lead to an event that is adverse.

2UNMANNED PILOTING
References
Hing, J. T., & Oh, P. Y. (2009). Development of an unmanned aerial vehicle piloting system
with integrated motion cueing for training and pilot evaluation. Journal of Intelligent
and Robotic Systems, 54(1-3), 3-19.
Karthick, M., Kumar, C. S., & Robert, T. P. (2020). Investigation of Human Factors Using
HFACS Framework—A Case Study for Unintended Reactor Trip Events in NPP.
In Reliability, Safety and Hazard Assessment for Risk-Based Technologies (pp. 765-
775). Springer, Singapore.