To Daisy Arabella: Research paper for "Human Factors in Aviation Safety" Class

Running head: RISK PERCEPTION AND AERONAUTICAL 1 Risk Perception and Aeronautical Decision Making: The Factors Behind Fuel Exhaustion By John Doe An Human Fcators Research Paper [ or Case Study] Submitted to the Worldwide Campus In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of Course SFTY 320 Human Factors in Aviation Safety Embry -Riddle Aeronautical University May 2012 RISK PERCEPTION AND AERONAUTICAL 2 2 - 2 - Abstract Since 1993 there have been 1,068 aircraft accidents in the United States in which the NTSB determined the probable cause, or a primary contributing factor, to be fuel exhaustion. A preliminary review of these accident reports, and of available literature on the decision making process, indicates fuel exhaustion may often be the end result of errors in the employment of the decision -making process. Research to determine this, and the factors responsible for such decision errors, was conducted by means of a comprehensive analysis of a sampling of appropriate NTSB accident reports and by a review of relevant literature. From this research recommendations for redu cing the occurrence of fuel exhaustion accidents have made. This report chronicles that research with an introduction, a review of relevant literature, a description of the methodology involved, an analysis of the data gathered, and conclusions and recomm endations . RISK PERCEPTION AND AERONAUTICAL 3 3 Risk Perception and Aeronautical Decision Making: The Factors Behind Fuel Exhaustion Introduction [optional heading] Accidents in which fuel exhaustion was determined to be the probable cause have accounted for almost three and one ha lf percent of all aviation accidents in the United States since 1982, and almost four percent of all U.S. general aviation accidents (GA) in that same time period. Further, this statistic has remained relatively constant year after year during this period . The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (2002) determined … RISK PERCEPTION AND AERONAUTICAL 4 4 Research into Fuel Exhaustion Accid en ts [optional heading] Background of the Problem [optional heading] No human action is without risk, though clearly some of those actions carry wit h them substantially more risk than others. Aviation is arguably situated more toward the high end of the risk spectrum, even though most pilots and many others are often generally oblivious to the magnitude of that risk (O’Hare, 1990). This section will review existing relevant literature regarding the component subjects pertinent to an investigation of fuel exhaustion causes in order to provide a background of understanding. Those subjects include … RISK PERCEPTION AND AERONAUTICAL 5 5 Conclusions and Recommendations [optional heading] It is apparent from the data that errors in the decision -making process, specifically faulty situation assessment, faulty selection of a course of action, and faulty consolidation, are occurring in considerable numbers in fuel exhaustion accidents. This researcher concluded that failures in the risk assessment and risk perception portion of the aeronautical decision -making process (faulty situation (risk) assessment) are leading to risk misperceptions, which are causing errors in the decision porti on of the process (faulty selection of a course of action) … A note about [optional heading]: While headings within the body of your paper are not required, they can, in many circumstances, provide added clarity and understanding for the reader, and thus should be considered. If you use headings be certain to use them in accordance with APA 6 th (section 3.03, p. 62). RISK PERCEPTION AND AERONAUTICAL 6 6 References Australian Transport Safety Bureau. (2002). Australian aviation accidents involving fuel exhaustion and fuel starv ation . Commonwealth Department of Transport and Regional Services. Sydney, Australia. Report ISBN 1 877071 25 0. O’Hare, D. (1990). Pilots’ perception of risks and hazards in general aviation . Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine . 61(7) , 599 -603.