Proposed regulation by FAA closes human factors loophole

Article on Flightglobal website by John Croft 2 February 2011

The US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) is proposing to close a human factors loophole in the regulations governing the certification of transport category aircraft with increasingly advanced-technology integrated flight decks.

In a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to be issued on 3 February, the agency calls for creating more explicit requirements for "design attributes" related to "managing and avoiding" pilot errors, including being able to detect and recover from keypad errors.

"In hindsight of analysis of accidents, incidents or other events of interest, these deviations might include: an inappropriate action, a difference for what is expected in a procedure, a mistaken decision, a slip of the fingers in typing, an omission of some kind, and many other examples," says the agency in the NPRM.