Human Factors Considerations in Aviation Maintenance

The role of the airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic or aviation maintenance technician (AMT) in the safe operation of the aviation system has evolved into an essential component of the system. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates the certification of the AMT but the certification procedures and curricular requirements for its approved mechanic schools have not changed in years. The Human Factors community has not paid much attention to the AMT either, devoting most of its aviation research activities to improving pilot performance. Despite this, the decision making and performance responsibilities of the AMT have been increasing as economic pressures force all aircraft operators to reduce costs and as newer and more complex technology is introduced. The importance of the individual AMT in system safety could be seen in the recent incident near Miami when a Lockheed L1011 lost all three engines due to the failure to install sane of the “O” ring seals in the engines. The error resulted from an oversight that produced near catastrophic consequences. Human factors considerations need to be applied to all aspects of the AMT's role and responsibilities. This ranges from selecting applicants, training students, certificating graduates and training practicing mechanics to designing aircraft systems to meet human factors analyses of job performance. In addition, certification procedures which more realistically reflect the skills the mechanic requires to master all aspects of the job, should be developed. Finally, the Human Factors community in general needs to devote more effort to improving AMT performance to meet the AMT's enhanced role in aviation safety.