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56 Conclusions and Recommendations Airport operations are dominated by technology, but it is the humans running and manag- ing the air transportation system that enable flight operations to occur in the safe, effective, and efficient manner that the industry and customers demand. Airport leaders looking to improve safety performance would be well served by investigating, analyzing, and mitigating the safety risks posed by the performance of their personnel within the systems that make the airport run. This research provides a starting point from which airport leaders can proceed with their efforts to manage airport safety. 9.1 Key Research Takeaways The foundation for the findings of this research was the analysis per- formed on the FAA Runway Incursion Database for V/PDs for fiscal years 2017 and 2018. The Runway Incursion Database represents one of, if not the only, consistent data sets tracking safety information on a specific type of airport operational event. In the case of V/PDs, all of the reported and investigated events had a human factor as the pri- mary cause. Thus, the process of identifying, reporting, investigating, and mitigating V/PDs can serve as a model for examining the human factors behind any safety event that occurs at an airport. 9.1.1 Human Factors Underlying V/PDs With V/PDs as a guide, airport leaders should focus on the following when addressing the human contributions to airside safety issues: ⢠Decision errors are by far the leading human factor involved in safety incidents in the airside environment. ⢠Managing the risk of V/PDs lies in controlling the frequency, or likelihood, of the decision errors that lead to the incursions rather than the severity of the outcome. Since rarely do V/PDs result in any damage to aircraft or airport property, the severity of the outcome is nearly always minimal or nonexistent. This may not be the case with other airport safety hazards, but in all cases safety risks will be reduced by a reduction of decision errors by airport personnel. ⢠Areas of focus should be enhancing driver communications skills, improving positional aware- ness and an awareness of the type and tempo of operations, and building a foundation of knowledge and an improved awareness of what affects decision making. ⢠Violations of rules and regulations are often associated with V/PDs that involve personnel not assigned to the airport, such as visitors and contractors involved in construction. Such V/PDs, while still considered airport safety incidents, are related to airport security and access control. C H A P T E R  9 The process of identifying, reporting, investigating, and mitigating V/PDs can serve as a model for examining the human factors behind any safety event that occurs at an airport.
Conclusions and Recommendations 57  9.1.2 Risk Mitigations in the Control of Airport Leadership Not all airport safety changes designed to mitigate human factors risks are under the control of airport leaders. The FAA, commercial air carriers, and aircraft and equipment manufacturers continually strive to improve aviation safety through the advancement of technologies and the revision of airport regulations. However, when it comes to setting the stage for sound decision making, the best approaches are those that are developed and implemented locally by those most familiar with the airport and the people working airside. Based on the analysis of the V/PD investigation data, the most effective measures for reducing the safety risks posed by human factors are those that positively influence the behaviors of the personnel who execute airport operations and those that work to improve the decision-making skills of airside personnel, particularly those authorized to drive in the movement areas. The areas under the purview of the airport that can be reviewed, revised, and deployed as risk mitigations for airside human factors should include those discussed in the following: ⢠Training can be provided for leaders and airside drivers that includes human factors concepts. ⢠Hiring practices can be designed to examine the traits and capabilities most essential for safe airside operations. ⢠Technologies can be deployed that can improve operational and positional awareness as well as the communication skills and confidence levels of those driving in the airside environment. ⢠The factors that may lead to cognitive fatigue in those involved in airside operations can be examined to determine if fatigue is an issue affecting decision making. ⢠Airport irregular operations procedures can be reviewed to ensure that fatigue-management strategies are in place to reduce the fatigue risks inherent to extended, high-tempo operations. ⢠Airport safety investigations procedures, along with the training and experience of those assigned to perform investigations, can be revised to better capture human factors data. As stated previously, the findings from the analysis of V/PD investigation data served as the basis for these focus areas. However, these areas are not specific to V/PDs, and concentrating resources and safety efforts in these human factors areas airport wide will aid in the success of airport safety performance improvement initiatives. 9.2 Recommendations for Airport Leaders The following recommendations are intended to enhance airport safety and address human factors that contribute to V/PDs and other airside incidents. Given the preponderance of human- cause factors in aviation accidents and incidents, mitigation considerations such as these could reduce the human performance risks present in airside operations. 9.2.1 Airport Management Human Factors Awareness Airport managers and supervisors should enhance their awareness of decision errors, as well as the contribution of decision errors to V/PDs specifically and to airside incidents and accidents generally. This can be accomplished through in-person or computer-based training. Such training will provide those overseeing operations greater insight into the factors influencing the perfor- mance of airside personnel and provide a sound baseline of knowledge, allowing for more rapid and accurate recognition of the safety hazards related to human performance. 9.2.2 Personality Assessments for New Employees Airports should consider using personality assessment tools during the hiring process to better ensure that those candidates destined for positions on the airside (particularly those being assigned driving duties) possess the attributes needed to excel in that environment.
58 Airside Operations Safety: Understanding the Effects of Human Factors 9.2.3 Communications Skills Training and Enhancement for Drivers Airports should consider including in airside driver training courses information on the communications process and effective radio communications techniques. Additionally, practice sessions can be organized (whether with an instructor or using computer or mobile applica- tions) to maintain or enhance radio proficiency and confidence. 9.2.4 Decision Error Awareness Because decision errors are the most prevalent cause of V/PDs, airports may benefit from including, in airside driver training, information on decision making and conditions that degrade effective decision making. This training should include fatigue and sleep concepts as well as situational awareness concepts, their impacts on decision making, and mitigation strategies that individuals can apply to reduce safety risks posed by these human factors. 9.2.5 Fatigue Risk Management Programs Large, complex airports that operate around the clock should con- sider establishing a fatigue risk management program. Such efforts may enhance the cognitive performance of airside personnel, particularly those assigned night shifts and who participate in irregular operations. 9.2.6 Standardized Techniques for the Use of Mobile Technologies in Vehicles Airports should consider developing and instituting standard procedures for the use of mobile technologies in airport vehicles. Mobile technologies can be used to enhance the situational awareness of airside drivers and give drivers an additional means to communicate apart from the use of the radio. These technologies also present additional safety risks that must be managed. Establishing standard techniques to optimize their benefits can enhance airside driver perfor- mance and mitigate the safety risks associated with their use while driving. Prior to the development and implementation of such techniques, airport leaders must first assess current policies on the use of mobile devices while working airside. The use of these technologies may introduce new risks or increase the level of risk for known safety hazards, such as distraction and task fixation, while serving as a mitigation to decision error risks. Performing a risk assessment on such a system change and weighing the benefits against the costs is recommended. 9.2.7 Investigation of Incidents Airports should consider revising safety incident investigation practices and procedures to better capture the human factors information relevant to airport incidents and accidents. A first step to explore is that of formally training an airport operations team member in accident investigation techniques. 9.3 Recommendations for Future Research This research effort discovered information that can enable more effective use of airport safety resources and better risk-based decisions by airport leadership. That said, this research effort is the first that focuses on the human factors affecting airport airside operations. Follow-on Areas of focus for airports should be enhancing driver communications skills, improving positional awareness and an awareness of the type and tempo of operations, and building a foundation of knowledge and an improved aware- ness of what affects decision making.
Conclusions and Recommendations 59Â Â research could expand on this effort and provide the airport industry with greater detail into the areas addressed, setting the stage for more illustrative analysis of human performance in airport operations once data are captured in areas other than V/PDs. 9.3.1 Safety Investigation Procedures and Techniques While many airports have budgets and personnel that could support the formal training of a designated safety investigator, most airports likely will decide that such an investment is overshadowed by other budget priorities. Thus, providing the industry with a guide that covers all aspects of safety investigations, with aviation as the main theme, would provide airports of all sizes with the ability to enhance and expand their safety investigations. Whether the investi- gation is of an aircraft crash or a low-risk safety hazard identified by an employee, the actionable knowledge a thorough safety investigation can provide to airport leaders can lead to improved efficiencies and safety performance. 9.3.2 Techniques for Use of Mobile Devices Airside The interviews conducted during this research revealed a variety of views on the use of mobile technologies by airside personnel and their value in enhancing job performance. That said, the capabilities of mobile information technology devices will only improve downstream. Researching the effective use of mobile devices, the operator techniques that enhance the value of device capabilities, and the changes to airside safety risk levels could provide the industry with a foundational level of knowledge that could be used to establish standard procedures and effective use policies for airports. 9.3.3 Fatigue in Airport Personnel This research touched on the subject of fatigue in airside personnel; however, due to a lack of data illustrating whether fatigue is a widespread safety issue in the industry, the research team assumed that it presents safety risks to airport operations and provided insight into how fatigue can be managed. A dedicated study that explored the depth of the issue, its causes, and strategies airport management could employ to enhance human performance and decision making could examine sleep and commuting trends in employees as well as the extent to which employment outside of the airport affects the level of fatigue airport personnel experience. 9.3.4 Follow-On Analysis of V/PD Investigation Data Conducting follow-on analysis of the FAA Runway Incursion Database to examine changes in the human factors information included could serve two purposes for the airport industry. First, this type of research effort could determine whether positive changes to human factors investigation practices were realized as the result of this report. Secondly, a follow-on analysis could validate the findings of this research effort while possibly identifying new trends that the industry needs to address.
