FAA STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING OPERATIONAL ERROR CAUSAL FACTORS

Abstract : The FAA has historically tried to understand and mitigate the incidence of operational errors (OEs), focusing on the critical component of the system-the closest person to the air traffic situation and the last point of prevention-the air traffic controller. With the human element as the foundation of such a complex system, several initiatives by the FAA Office of Evaluations and Investigations Staff include: have focused on human performance within, and interacting with, the larger system. These have included implementing a coordinated system of investigations to identify causal factors, fielding automation to re-create events, developing metrics to categorize OE severity, and sponsoring unique performance enhancement programs.