Task A. Human Factors

Hypoxia

A state of oxygen deficiency in the body.

Hypoxic Hypoxia

A result of insufficient oxygen available to the lungs

• lack of oxygen absorbed by the body due to atmospheric conditions

• Its the most common form of hypoxia

What causes hypoxic hypoxia?

• Pilots: The reduction in partial pressure of oxygen at high altitude

• blocked airway or drowning

Hypemic Hypoxia

When the blood is not able to carry a sufficient amount of oxygen to the body's cells

What causes hypemic hypoxia?

• Blood Loss

• Blood diseases

  • anemia

  • deformed blood cells

• Hemoglobin is unable to bind oxygen molecules

• Carbon monoxide poisoning

• Smoking

Stagnant Hypoxia

Oxygen deficiency in the body due to poor circulation of blood

What causes Stagnant hypoxia?

Occurs from excessive G's, Cold Temps, or Shock

Histotoxic Hypoxia

The inability of the cells to effectively use oxygen

• “Histo” - refers to tissues or cells

• “Toxic” - means poison

What causes histotoxic hypoxia?

• Drugs

• Alcohol

• Narcotics

• Poisons

What are some symptoms of hypoxia?

• Cyanosis

  • (Blue fingernails and lips)

• Feeling of euphoria

• Tingling in extremities

• Lightheaded / Dizziness

• Headache

• Confusion

• Drowsiness

What are some treatments you can do to combat hypoxia?

• Descend to lower altitude

  • To increase amount of O2 available

• Use Supplemental oxygen

What is Useful Consciousness?

Max time to make and carry out rational decisions without supplemental oxygen

Define Hyperventilation

A breathing rate and depth increase which causes a deficiency of CO2 in the body

What causes Hyperventilation?

• Stress

• Panic

• Anxiety

• Hypoxia

What are some symptoms of Hyperventilation?

• Feeling of Suffocation

• Tingling in extremities

• Visual Impairment

• Lightheaded or dizzy sensation

• Hot and cold sensations

• Muscle spasms

• Unconsciousness

• Rapid heart rate & breathing

Treatments for hyperventilation?

• Manually slow and control your breathing back to normal

• Talking out loud

• Breathing into a paper bag

• If unsure, treat for hypoxia (the more dangerous situation)

What are Middle Ear Problems/

Difference in the pressure of the outside air the body and inside the middle ear/nasal sinuses

What causes the massive differences in pressure with Middle Ear Problems?

• After being at higher altitudes for longer periods of time, when you begin to descend the Eustachian Tubes can close due to the increase in pressure

  • Excessive pressure for long enough time can result in pain &/or ruptured ear drums

What are some symptoms of middle ear problems?

• Severe pain in the ear

• Reduce hearing sensitivity

What are some treatments to help middle ear problems?

• Yawning

• Swallowing

• Chewing gum

• Valsalva maneuver

How would a sinus problem affect us as pilots?

• Usually, our sinus pressure equalizes with pressure at altitude

• To much congestion can prevent the pressure from equaling out

What are some symptoms from sinus problems?

• Severe Sinus pain

• Upper tooth pain

• Bloody mucus

What are some treatments to help sinus problems?

• Slow descent rates

• DO NOT FLY with sinus problems

What is Spatial Disorientation?

Lack of orientation with regard to the:

• Position

• Attitude

• Movement

of the airplane in space

What are the different orientation systems are body uses?

• Visual

  • The eye, by far the largest source of information

• Somatosensory

  • Nerves that sense position based on gravity, feeling, and sound

• Vestibular System

  • Motion sensing system in inner ears 

    • Reports head position, orientation, movement

How does spatial disorientation happen?

A disagreement between 1 or more of the bodies orientation systems

How to counter the sensations from Spatial Disorientation?

• Recognize the problem

• Disregard the false sensations

• Rely on the flight instruments

What is motion sickness?

When your brain gets conflicting info with the body between what it sees and what it feels

What are some symptoms of motion sickness?

• General discomfort

• Nausea

• Dizziness

• Paleness

• Sweating

• Vomiting

What are some steps to help treat motion sickness?

• Getting fresh air

  • Open outside air vents

• Loosen clothing

• Focus on Non-moving objects outside the airplane

• Avoid unnecessary head movements

• Fly smooth, straight and level

• Land as soon as able

What is Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning?

A tasteless, colorless, and odorless gas that decreases the bloods ability to carry oxygen

• Caused by damaged/ leaking exhaust system

How does Carbon Monoxide Poisoning effect the body?

Hemoglobin in your blood is used to transport oxygen to other parts

• CO is able to bond with the hemoglobin 200 to 300 time easier than oxygen can

• It prevents the hemoglobin from transporting oxygen (hypemic hypoxia)

What are some symptoms of CO poisoning?

• Hypemic hypoxia

• Headache

• Blurred vision

• Dizziness

• Drowsiness

• Loss of muscle power

• Chest pain

• Confusion

What are some ways to detect CO poisoning?

• CO Detectors

• Watching for symptoms

• Strong odor of exhaust gas

What to do if we detect CO in the cockpit?

• Turn off cabin heater

• Open all air vents

• Use supplemental oxygen

• Descent to lower altitude

• Land ASAP

2 different categories of stress & fatigue?

Acute

• short term

Chronic

• long term

Define Fatigue

State of feeling tired, weary, or sleepy that results from

• Prolonged mental or physical work

• Extended periods of anxiety

• Exposure to harsh environments

• Loss of sleep.

Define acute fatigue

It is the occurrence from doing everyday life

• It can degrade us throughout the day

• A proper diet & enough rest helps to recover

Define chronic fatigue

Fatigue over a long period of time – usually has psychological roots or underlying disease

• Caused by high-stress levels over larger periods of time

• seek treatment/ help with very prolonged rest to help treat

Define Stress

The body’s response to physical and psychological demands placed upon it

Define acute stress

Short term stress

• Things that activate our fight or flight

On-going acute stress can develop into chronic stress

Define chronic stress

Stress that exceeds the ability to cope

• Caused by constant streams of demands, risks, pressures, & threats that go on for long periods of time

• DO NOT FLY

Define Dehydration

Critical loss of water from the body

What are some things that help lead to dehydration?

• Hot flight decks / flight lines

• Windy days

• Humidity

• Diuretic drinks

  • coffee, tea, alcohol, soda

What are some symptoms of dehydration?

• Fatigue

• inability to concentrate

• headaches

• cramps

• tingling

• sleepiness

• dizziness

• flush face

What are some effects of poor nutrition?

• Low energy &/or low blood sugar

• Hunger pains

• breakdown in good habit patterns

• Short attention span

  • Insufficient vitamin A can impair night vision

Define Hypothermia

The body losing heat faster than it can produce it

• Normal: 98.6^o F/37^o C

• Hypothermia: < 95^o F/35^o C

How to prevent Hypothermia?

COLD

• Cover

• Overexertion

• Layers

• Dry

Vestibular Illusions Acronym

ICEFLAGS

Inversion Illusion

• Reason - An abrupt change from climb to straight-and-level flight

• Illusion - The feeling of tumbling backwards

• Result - Disoriented pilot pushes aircraft into a nose low attitude

Coriolis Illusion

• Reason - A sudden head movement during a turn that disrupts the normal motion sensing

• Illusion - A sensation of spinning or turning around a different axis than intended

• Result - A disoriented pilot may incorrectly adjust the aircraft’s attitude to counteract the imagined motion

Elevator illusion

• Reason - Abrupt upward or downward acceleration

  • Usually due to an updraft or downdraft

• Illusion - Upward & downward acceleration creates the illusion of being in a climb or descent

• Result - Disoriented pilot will push the aircraft into a nose low or nose high attitude

False Horizon

• Reason - Sloping cloud formations, an obscured horizon, a dark scene spread with ground lights and stars, and certain geometric patterns of ground light

• Illusions - Not being aligned correctly with the horizon

• Result - Disoriented pilot puts aircraft into dangerous attitude

Leans illusion

• Reason - Abrupt correction of a banked attitude of a turn entered too slowly to stimulate the motion sensing system in the inner ear

• Illusion - Banking in the opposite direction

• Result - Disoriented pilot rolls back into original dangerous attitude (the turn), thinking (feeling) the airplane is straight and level.

Autokinesis Illusion

• Reason - Darkness

• Illusion - When stared at for a period of time, a static light will appear as it is moving

• Result - Disoriented pilot may attempt to align aircraft with the light and lose control

Graveyard Spiral illusion

• Reason - Loss of altitude during a turn that has stopped stimulating the motion sensing system

• Illusion - A seemingly Wings level descent

• Result - Disoriented pilot pulls back on the controls, tightening the spiral and increasing the loss of altitude

Graveyard Spin

• Reason - Recovery from a spin that has ceased stimulating the motion sensing system

• Illusion - Being in a spin in the opposite direction

• Result - Disoriented pilot returns the aircraft to its original spin

Somatogravic illusion

• Reason - A rapid acceleration, often during takeoff

• Illusion - Rapid acceleration can create the illusion of being in a nose up attitude & rapid deceleration can create the illusion of being in a nose down attitude

• Result - Disoriented pilot puts the aircraft in a nose low (dive attitude) or in a nose up (stall attitude)

Optical Illusions Acrynom

G-FRRAP

Ground Lighting Illusions

• Reason: Lights along a straight path, such as a road, and even lights on moving trains

• Illusions: Can create the illusion of runway and approach lights

• Result: The pilot may attempt to land on a path, road, or train

Featureless Terrain Illusion

• Reason: An absence of ground features, as when landing over water, or darkened areas

• Illusion: Can create the illusion that the aircraft is at a higher altitude than it is

• Result: The pilot who doesn’t recognize this will fly a lower approach

Runway Width Illusion

• Reason: A narrower or wider than usual runway

• Illusion:

  • Narrow – Appear to be at a higher altitude than you are

  • Wider — Appear to be at a lower altitude than you are

• Result:

  • Narrow – A lower than normal approach

  • Wider – A higher than normal approach

Runway and Terrain Slope Illusion

• Reason: Sloping runway, terrain, or both

• Illusion:

  • Upslope – Appear to be higher than you are

  • Downslope — Appear to be lower than you are

• Result:

  • Upslope – A lower than normal approach

  • Downslope – A higher than normal approach

Atmospheric Illusions

• Reason: Rain on the windscreen, Atmospheric Haze, Penetration of fog

• Illusion: Rain - Illusion of greater height; Haze –Greater distance; Fog – Pitching up

• Result: Rain & Haze - A lower than normal approach; Fog – steepens the approach, often abruptly

Preventing landing Illusions

Anticipate them during approaches; Use glide slope or VASI/PAPI systems whenever possible

• Reason: Bright runway and approach lighting systems

• Illusion: Can create the illusion of less distance to the runway

• Result: The pilot who does not recognize this illusion will fly a higher approach

How Nitrogen & Scuba diving effects you when flying

Scuba diving results in a significant increase in the amount of nitrogen dissolved in the body

• @ sea lvl, nitrogen is = outside and inside the body

• w/ reduced atmospheric pressure, trapped nitrogen can get released

• If it gets released to quickly bubbles can form in

  • Bloodstream

  • Spinal Cord

  • Brain

• Leading to very severe pain or even death

How long should you wait after scuba diving to fly?

• 12 hours after a dive not requiring controlled ascent & below 8,000' MSL (+24Hours if above 8,000' MSL)

• 24 hours after a dive requiring controlled ascent & below 8,000' MSL

What rule do we follow with alcohol and aviation?

14 CFR part 91.17

• "8 hours bottle to throttle"

  • 8 hrs. & not feeling the alcohols effects is safest

• Histotoxic hypoxia

• Altitude multiplies the effects of alcohol on the body

What rules do we follow with drugs/ medication in aviation?

Unless FAA Approved, DO NOT FLY while taking Meds

14 CFR part 61.53

• Prohibits flying if taking certain medication would prevent obtaining a medical certificate

14 CFR part 91.17

• Prohibits drug use that affect you in any ways contrary to safety

Look on FAA website for approved OTC drugs

what are ADM, CRM, & SRM?

Aeronautical decision making

Crew Resource Management

Single-pilot resource management

What are some Human Factors that could lead to:

• Loss of Situational Awareness?

• Disorientation?

• Task Prioritization Distractions?

• Affected Performance?

IMSAFE

• Illness

• Medication

• Stress

• Alcohol

• Fatigue

• Emotion / Eating

What are the hazardous attitudes?

• Macho

• Anti-authority

• Impulsivity

• Resignation

• Invulnerability

Macho antidote

Taking chances is foolish

Anti-authority antidote

Follow the rules. They are usually right.

Impulsively antidote

Not so fast, think first

Resignation antidote

I'm not helpless. I can make a difference.

Invulnerability antidote

I'm not special, It CAN happen to me

Good workload management practices?

Thinking ahead of the aircraft

• Do what you can ahead of time to make situations easier to deal with

  • Get ATIS

  • Preset next needed Frequency

  • Run Checklists

• Prepare for & recognize ahead of time any high stress/ workload situations

How to combat expectation bias?

Your experiences & expectations can influence behavior

• Individuals are vulnerable to thinking they See &/or Hear what they are expecting to See &/or Hear

What are the 3 Stresses that affect performance?

• Physical

• Physiological

• Psychological

What is Physical Stress?

Associated with the environment

• Temp

• Unfamiliar noises &/or vibrations

• Lack of oxygen

What is Physiological Stress?

Physical conditions such as

• Fatigue

• Lack of physical fitness

• Missed meals

• Poor Sleep

• Illness

What is Psychological Stress?

Social or emotional factors

• Relationship Problems

• Death in the family

• Sick child

• Money Problems

Whats the recommended altitudes for supplemental oxygen use?

• 10,000' day

• 5,000' night

  • Eyes require more oxygen at night

Oxygen Requirements for unpressurized cabins

• 12,500ft MSL to 14,000ft MSL

  • The minimum crew must have oxygen for flights over 30 minutes @ these altitudes

• Above 14,000ft MSL

  • The minimum crew must have oxygen provided for the whole flight above this altitude

• 15,000ft MSL & Above

  • Passengers must be at least offered Supplemental oxygen the whole time above these altitudes

Oxygen Requirements for pressurized cabins

• Above FL250

  • Additional 10 min of o2 is available per occupant in the event of depressurization

• Above FL350

  • One pilot must wear o2 mask unless both pilots are at controls with quick donning masks and flight is below FL410.

• If one pilot leaves controls above FL350

  • Other pilot must wear o2 mask regardless regardless of mask type.