January 04, 2008 —

Runway accidents linked to 'human factor'
Najmedin Meshkati, professor, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California - Los Angeles

As a professor of engineering and an aviation safety researcher and instructor, I disagree with the Opposing View on the airline industry by Nicholas A. Sabatini and Hank Krakowski ("Safety project working," Air travel debate, Dec. 28).

They write: "Any look at aviation safety in America - specifically on our runways - has to start with the numbers. Those numbers tell us the Federal Aviation Administration's aggressive efforts in the past decade to make our airports safer are delivering significant results."

But I do not think the "numbers" are doing justice to the complex problem of runway collisions. Based on my research and teaching aviation safety for the past 20 years at the University of Southern California, and as one of the 25 experts who participated in the Government Accountability Office's recently released study on "Aviation Runway and Ramp Safety," I have found that human factors are the most important contributor to runway incursions. According to the FAA's Runway Safety Blueprint 2002-04, human factors are "the common denominator in every runway incursion." Some of the most notable causes of incursions are poor visibility, fatigue, air traffic controller's workload, deficient radar systems, pressure on cockpit crews and inconsistent communication practices.

There also are strong indications that air traffic controllers are increasingly suffering from cumulative fatigue, the term given to the condition workers face after working long hours for consecutive days. This critical issue prompted the National Transportation Safety Board to update its "Most Wanted List" of safety improvements by adding recommendations addressing fatigue. Throwing more technology onto the runway problem does not address human factors.

To change this terrible situation, the FAA needs to seriously consider human factors. It needs the genuine cooperation and coordination of manufacturers, air traffic controllers and other industry officials. The Transportation Department, with the help of the National Research Council, needs to develop a scientifically sound plan to deal with human factors.

Congress should make sure this new plan, unlike the FAA's 1990 plan launched in the wake of the 1988 Aloha Airlines accident, stays on the front burner.


Click here for a downloadable PDF of this letter.