2024 Abstracts
Day 1 (29 October)
Plenary Session – Centre Stage Room (Click on Link for Abstracts)
0900-0915 Welcome
0920-1005 Keynote 1: Professor Sidney Dekker – Griffith University
1010-1055 Keynote 2: Pip Spence – CEO and Director of Aviation Safety, CASA
1055-1125 Morning Tea
1125-1150 CRM – What is it for? Preventing Error or Saving the Day? – Dr. Dirk Maclean – Swinburne University
Everyone likes CRM, its value is universally appreciated. But what is its purpose ? What do we want it to do ? Many in aviation safety and air operations are not fully aware that today we have two very different and competing paradigms in play, which shape our approach to and expectations from CRM. One focuses on the prevention of error, the other on how to respond effectively as a team in abnormal or emergency situations. These very different conceptions crop up under different names, the Safety I and Safety II distinction, mindful versus mindless operations, technological thinking versus the human element, they can be seen in the contrast between Threat and Error Management (TEM) on the one hand, and Non-Technical Skills (NTS) programs on the other. So, do we need to choose ? And if so, which is better ? Here we will discuss what is at stake in this discussion, and what it means for the future of CRM training.
1150-1215 “Hubris and Humility with Near Miss Events- A Healthcare Perspective”- Dr Kim Vidhani (PA Hospital)
1215-1315 Lunch
1315-1340 Improving Pilot Training and Operations using Predictive Analytics & Insights – Alexander Robinson – Ocean Software
The main objective of this presentation is to demonstrate the practical application of machine learning
predictive analytics in addressing and improving pilot training & operational problems.
Specifically, the applied research looked at ab-initio flight training results over a 4-year period. A
Machine Learning model was developed to identify predictive insights into success factors, from
selected course training data. This presentation illustrates the outcomes, objectives, methodology, and
data used to address pilot training & operational challenges, and highlights the potential value in terms
of:
Safety – including identifying trends and potential issues, Safety-II behaviours, currency &
qualifications alignment, proficiency optimisation;
Training effectiveness – including competency-based training, quality of training outcomes,
curriculum improvements & design, resource optimisation, curriculum design
Training efficiency, and throughput – including course schedule flow (bottlenecks), upgrade
streaming, continuous assessment, individual-based learning & remediation;
Applications – including a practical framework, tactical vs strategic application, and examples of
datasets and objectives.
1345-1410 Fatal Solution – Building a Fair and Just Culture in Healthcare – Prof. Jan Davies (Professor Emerita, University of Calgary)
With a Foreword kindly written by James Reason, Fatal Solution tells the story of the deaths of two patients and the response of what then was Canada’s largest integrated healthcare system. Part of that response was a change of standard operating practices. While these practices included sometimes providing disclosure to the families of what had occurred, the region was considering adhering to its usual pattern of ‘saying nothing’ to the public. After much discussion and reflection, the CEO chose to go against the advice of the legal team and to ‘go public’, to be open and transparent with everyone. In addition, the healthcare region then underwent an amazing transformation. James Reason’s Just Culture concepts were fully integrated into how care was provided, starting with new policies and procedures. These included “Reporting Safety Hazards and Patient Harm”, Just and Trusting Culture, Disclosing Harm to Patients, and Informing Principal Partners and Stakeholders About Safety Issues. The final result was a health system built on the principles of being truly just and fair to all, from the patients all the way up to the CEO, and doing things differently, more safely, better and in a kinder way.
1415-1440 Airline Crew Scheduling Challenges: Potential Implications for Aviation Safety – Associate Professor Selina Fothergill (RMIT))
Airline crew scheduling is the assignment of flight crew (cockpit and cabin) to scheduled flights to ensure that the crew needed for all flights are covered. The desired solution to airline crew scheduling is to minimize the total cost of assigning crews to flight legs while optimising operational efficiency, without jeopardizing safety. Despite the airline crew scheduling problem receiving extensive attention, particularly in the last 60 years, the role of the crew scheduler has not been extensively studied. This operational group does not have formal international training requirements to comply with and typically, airlines develop their own internal training. Additionally, little is known about the challenges of this job beyond the complexities of developing effective crew scheduling models and algorithms. Adopting a mixed research method collecting data from global major international airlines, the research identified crew scheduling challenges and training gaps. Training was found to be inconsistent, multi-modal, informal and at unstructured periods of recurrence. Training syllabi were typically self-developed by individual airlines, with critical safety topics such as understanding of crew fatigue missing. A standardised training approach with additional focus on sleep science and fatigue management could result in more effective crew scheduling with enhanced safety and operational efficiency of the industry.
Selina Fothergill1, Phil Vabre2, Nicolle Connelly1 and Jessica Walton3
1Aerospace Engineering and Aviation, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia; 2 Civil Aviation Historical Society; 3 Civil Air
1440-1505 Challenging the Efficacy of a Just Culture – Curtis Calabrese (UNSW Aviation)
1505-1535 Afternoon Tea
1535-1600 Multimodal Sensory Effectiveness and the Realism of Virtual Cabin Door Trainers – Moving Beyond the Digital Twin – Denis Manson – Alliance Airlines
Extended reality relies on the digital twin, 3D models that replicate the real world. But how ’twin’ is
the ‘digital twin’?
While virtual reality training solutions are developing a strong niche in technical training, there
remains a limitation to the realism of VR – physical feedback, human touch. Until haptic feedback
tools can be reliably implemented into digital environments, the lack of tactile interaction will
remain a deficiency.
Haptic gloves replicate the fingertip feel of knobs and switches, which enhances a virtual cockpit.
But for more complex mechanical feedback, like experiencing the forces of moving a lever through
an arc, a glove is insufficient. How might this be achieved?
Cabin crew door training currently uses resources ranging from real aircraft, through full-scale door
trainers, and excellent virtual cabin replicas. VR provides the solution of safe training for escape
slide deployment and other door malfunction tasks. But VR replicates sight and hearing, no other
sense.
Multimodal sensory information has been shown to enhance situational awareness and training
effectiveness. (Hale et al, 2009; NASA, 2018). For extra sensory effectiveness, mixed reality (MR)
techniques may help.
In simple terms, we can say VR has 50% sensory effectiveness (effective for 2 out of 4 senses), and
MR has 75% effectiveness (3 out of 4 senses).
Development effort is being applied to combining the physical with the digital in training
applications. And, on the horizon, some bold mixed reality projects propose to combine a fully
functional digital cabin door with a modular physical door.
Such projects will exploit all the advantages of the digital training environment, like slide
deployment, door indicator failures and external fire. Then, being coupled with a cut-down physical
door provides an additional tactile function – door handles that move like the real door and also
simulate the door power assist function.
Could these mixed reality solutions, merging the best of the physical and digital worlds, result in
greater sensory effectiveness and better training results?
1605-1630 Safety Leadership and Psychological Safety in Small Team Operations – Katherine Hill – Keil Centre
1630-1655 Human Performance and CRM/NTS Through the Lens of Contemporary Safety – David East – Crew Fusion
1655-1705 Day 1 Wrap Up
1900-2200 Conference Dinner – Pre-dinner drinks outside Function Room at 1830
Day 2 – (30 October)
Plenary Session – Centre Stage Room
0900-0910 Welcome
0910-0955 Keynote 3 – Matt Hall – Matt Hall Racing
1000-1045 Keynote 4 – Nicole Ashcroft – Uber Safety (TBC)
1045-1115 Morning Tea
Helicopter Safety Collaborative Human Factors Parallel Forum – Meeting Place 3 & 4
0900-0940 “Key Human Performance lessons from a stabbing, an NVG medical retrieval flight, a soccer field and an unpleasant surprise with high-tension powerlines” – Lachlan Slatyer, Manager Human Factors / RW Flight Examiner Toll Aviation.
0940-1020 “Mentoring lessons from my diverse career through two militaries and various civil sector flying jobs and how mentoring helps Human Performance today” – Tarryn Ryan, Human Performance Manager, LifeFlight
1020-1100 “Prioritising Human Performance to Achieve SAR Excellence: The Challenges of a Long-Range Night Vessel Rescue, and the critical role of teamwork, engineering, and Emergency Flight Operations.” – Keith Best, Flight Operations Manager, PHI Aviation
Pilot Human Factors Forum 1 – Centre Stage Room
1115-1140 Psychophysiological Responses in Aircraft Upsets – Shane Tobin – UPRT Australia
We have recently completed an initial study of the physiological response to aircraft upsets in pilots in conjunction with Griffith University, and the results are very interesting and sit well with the observed pilot behaviours in dealing with startle/surprise/stress in aircraft upset scenarios.
1140-1205 Eye Tracking Results from a Large Study into Pilot Startle and Surprise – Aruna Ranganathan – CQ Uni
1205-1230 Evaluation of Heights Used in Simulated Engine Failures in Twin-engine Aeroplanes under 5,700 kg – Stephanie Sabadas
There has been a number of accidents in Australia and worldwide involving simulated engine failures conducted after take-off in twin-engine aeroplanes under 5,700 kg. A review of guidance documents produced by aviation authorities has found variation in the published minimum height engine failures can be simulated. There is currently no research evaluating the suitability of heights used in these exercises or training transfer across heights. This research aims to compare pilot performance of this exercise at four heights (400 ft above ground level, 1,000 ft, 1,500 ft, and 4,000 ft) using a Piper PA-44-180 Seminole flight simulator to examine differences in managing an engine failure. Students and instructors from an Australian flying school were recruited to participate in the study. They will be required to successfully manage the engine failure at each height. The data analysis will compare pilot performance between heights based on instructor assessment, responses from questions about workload and attention using the cognitive interview method, eye tracking data, as well as simulator outputs (such as airspeed, heading, and pitch) between initial training and subsequent attempts at another height to determine whether there is a skill transfer or differences in performance across heights.
Human Factors Forum 2 – Meeting Place Rooms 1&2
1115-1140 Surviving the Aircraft Accident – A Critical Review of Head Injury Criterion (HIC) – Prof. Jan Davies (Professor Emerita, University of Calgary)
Flying safely is something we all want to do! To improve the odds, some safety-savvy
passengers have their own flight safety checklists, which they complete before take-off.
Here’s an example of such a list.
Choose where you’re going and where you don’t want to go, in case of diversions
Book flights with an airline with a good ‘safety’ rating
Dress appropriately for the flights
Determine the closest and nearest alternative exits
Watch the safety briefing
Read the safety card and try out the recommended brace position(s).
However, problems can still occur! For example, a bird strike occurs late in your flight’s
take-off sequence and, as the aircraft continues to hurtle down the runway, your
experienced and authoritative Cabin Crew call for passengers to assume the brace
position. You’ve read the safety card, practised which position you’ll use and now you
assume the correct position. You know the most important part of your body is your
brain and you’re determined to protect it as much as you can!
But what if there is actually a problem with some of the studies underlying testing of the
brace position? One part of brace position testing involves measuring the Head Injury
Criterion or HIC. This is a measure of the likelihood of head injury arising from an
impact, specifically a blow to the centre of the forehead. HIC was derived from what is
known as the Wayne State Tolerance Curve, developed from automotive-related
research conducted by a duo and then a trio of researchers over a number of years at
Wayne State University, starting in the 1940s and ending in the 1960s.
In this presentation, I will describe the review my iBRACE colleagues and I have
completed of the research underlying HIC’s development. This work includes a second
problem, related to setting of and maintaining HIC at 1000. Our conclusions suggest
that HIC, one of the basic concepts in aircraft crash survivability research and
development, is intrinsically flawed.
1140-1205 The typography of Flight Deck Documentation and its Effects on Safety – Pascal Schmid – Griffith University
Prompted by a series of air accidents in the 1980s, Dr Asaf Degani’s 1992 report, “On the Typography of Flight Deck Documentation,” reshaped the design of documents such as manuals, maps, charts, and checklists. His report addressed key principles of typography in printed documentation and provided 19 recommendations for best practice. These are now being applied to contemporary digital documentation. Consequently, our research team, comprising of practicing type designers, revisited the original report to determine whether the suggested conventions remain applicable in a contemporary setting. The findings highlight that some recommendations were based on misconceptions due to inconsistent terminology and now obsolete technologies, which led to a generalization of isolated typographic settings. This is problematic, given that absolute guidelines can only be applied to one specific typeface at a time, due to the varying characteristics of letterforms among different typefaces. Therefore, this single-source review aims to reset the baseline of typographic understanding, rekindle the conversation about legibility in flight safety, and highlight the importance of a more comprehensive approach to typography to improve legibility and, thus, safety. It follows the original report’s structure, providing reflections on Degani’s findings and updated information as required. Further, we provide revised recommendations, directions for future research and an outlook into the future of typography, which is currently undergoing unprecedented technological changes.
1205-1230 ‘The Cultural Leader. Giving our ‘crew’ reason to follow us, for good’ – Capt. Chris Smith
Workshop 1 – Meeting Place 3&4
1115-1230 Workshop 1: Facilitator Skills – Jana Ewing and Andy Elliott – Collaborative Training Group
1230-1315 Lunch
Human Factors Forum 3 – (Mental Health & Peer Support) – Centre Stage Room
1315-1345 “Fostering psychological safety through effective CRM to enhance aviation safety and maintain a Just Culture” – Dr Rithi Baruah – Vistara Airlines
Psychological safety refers to an environment where individuals feel safe to express their thoughts, concerns, and even mistakes without fear of retribution or embarrassment. Jan Hagen, in his book ‘Confronting Mistakes’, sheds light on how miscommunication and the failure to speak up contributed to numerous aviation disasters. A common theme in these incidents was low psychological safety. Co-pilots hesitated to voice concerns or admit mistakes, leading to catastrophic outcomes. These patterns are not limited to the cockpit, but similar behaviors are applicable to cabin crew as well.
The 6th Generation of CRM that focuses on threat and error management must emphasize threats attributed to lack of psychological safety within team members. A common pattern observed from the CRM reports and hazard reports over the last five years shows that there is a fear in voicing a concern by flight crew members, crew do not report a hazard or interpersonal and safety concern because of the fear of being targeted or ridiculed by other team members. Hence, fostering a psychologically safe environment where everyone feels comfortable expressing concerns, regardless of rank or experience can help establish a just culture and in turn enhance safety.
This presentation will highlight various ways of fostering psychological safety through CRM to enhance aviation safety in general and to maintain a just culture.
1345-1415 Providing Support in General and Regional Aviation – Angela Garvey – Navigating Aviation
1415-1445 Creating the Resilient Pilot – Naomi Radke – AFAP
The AFAP has collaborated to test and develop a no jeopardy virtual competency based training (CBT) program. Initially to support redundant pilots, the program has evolved to be a proactive tool for any next step a pilot takes in their career. The program is used by AFAP members in preparation for first job, first multi crew, continuous development, command upgrades and safety/performance support.
Naomi Radke (AFAP Safety and Technical Officer and former B737 Training Captain) will present the AFAP Resilient Pilot program and demonstrate how it is a tangible way for pilots to flip into Safety II thinking and measure their flexibility and resilience through guided self-assessment. The all-encompassing program provides virtual scenario-based simulator training (SBT), group competency-based workshops, access to a Resilience Hub and opportunity for pilots to hone the behaviours one-on-one with a mentor/coach qualified by the European Mentoring and Coaching council. The presentation will include a sneak peek at an actual scenario.
Workshops 2 and 3 – Meeting Place 3&4
1315-1445 Workshop 2: A Master Class for Improving CRM & NTS in Airline Pilots – Capt. Steve Swauger (Author, Master Airline Pilot – ex Southwest Airlines)
1445-1515 Afternoon Tea
1515-1645 Workshop 3: Using an Escape Room Methodology to Practise CRM Skills – Andi Thompson, Elizabeth Willis, Dr Kim Vidhani (Princess Alexandra Hospital) [48 pax + Observers]
Human Factors Forum 4 – Meeting Place Rooms 1&2
1515-1540 The Effects of Distraction and Recency on Mid-air Collisions – Billie Petty – University of Otago
My research aims to explore two factors that have the potential to impact responses to a mid-air collision simulation. The research will include investigating the effect of distraction when a flight simulator comes into proximity of another aircraft on a trajectory for a mid-air collision. Additionally, we will be manipulating the amount of time between the training flight and the experimental flight. My thesis will recruit flight naïve participants and test their response times and several flight performance measures (altitude, heading, and airspeed) when an oncoming aircraft is introduced within a simulated flight scenario.
A lot of previous aviation research has focused on the impact of distraction and pilot experience, however there are limited studies exploring the effects that these two factors may have in a mid-air collision scenario. Pilot experience such as total flying hours and certificates held by the pilot, have been studied extensively. However, there is a gap in the research looking at how the amount of time since a training flight (or the most recent flight) may affect flight naïve participants performance and responses in a controlled mid-air collision simulation.
1545-1610 An analysis of Different Models of Just Culture – Dr Tony Power
An analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of different just culture models (eg. ‘classic’, restorative, hybrid/revised).
1610-1645 Navigating Bumps in the Road: Supporting Flight Crew Through Training Difficulties – Carolyn Vaughan – Qantas
1645-1700 Day 2 and Conference Wrap Up
