On a reduction of cognitive errors for the protection of accidents of rotorcraft

Abstract

It has been reported that around 80% of rotorcraft accidents are due to human factors, such as (a) communications between pilot, controllers, people on ground duties, etc., (b) judgment by pilots, and (c) the overall organization culture. A methodology to reduce the errors caused by human factors has not been discussed seriously in technical society. However, to create a new market of rotorcraft such as Air-taxi and PAV (Personal Air Vehicle) from an industrial point of view and to decrease the losses caused by accidents from an operational point of view, human factors need to be studied scientifically. During the last 30 years, the percentage of errors due to human factors has not decreased. According to a report of the U.S. Army Aviation in Korea, “overconfidence” has been cited as the number one cause among the human factors, which is not easy to decrease, in general. In a recent survey by the Korean Institution for Health and Social Affairs, 90.9% of 10,000 adults make cognitive errors, which are related to human factors. The mechanism involved in perception, cognition, and human action are described in this paper, based on the recent developments in brain research, according to which people do not perceive things as they really are. Our recent studies show a promising hope for the reduction of cognitive errors of teachers and college students after discarding past memorized bad thoughts through self-reflection meditation. This study is expected to provide an important clue to reduce accidents of rotor/fixed craft.