Crew Factors and Resource Management Program

After a series of airline accidents in the 1970s involving aircraft with no apparent problems, findings were presented at a 1979 NASA workshop indicating that most aviation accidents were indeed caused by human error, rather than mechanical malfunctions or weather. Specifically, there were communication, leadership, and decision-making fail­ures within the cockpit that were causing accidents.[385] The concept of Cockpit Resource Management (now often referred to as Crew Resource Management, or CRM) was thus introduced. It describes the process of helping aircrews reduce errors in the cockpit by improving crew coor­dination and better utilizing all available resources on the flight deck, including information, equipment, and people.[386] Such training has been shown to improve the performance of aircrew members and thus increase efficiency and safety.[387] It is considered so successful in reducing accidents caused by human error that the aviation industry has almost universally adopted CRM training. Such training is now considered man­datory not only by NASA, but also the FAA, the airlines, the military, and even a variety of nonaviation fields, such as medicine and emergency services.[388] Most recently, measures have been taken to further expand mandatory CRM training to all U. S. Federal Aviation Regulations Part 135 operators, including commuter aircraft. Also included is Single­Pilot Resource Management (SRM) training for on-demand pilots who fly without additional crewmembers.[389]

Presently, the NASA Ames Human Systems Integration Division’s Flight Cognition Laboratory is involved with the evaluation of the thought processes that determine the behavior of air crewmen, controllers, and others involved with flight operations. Among the areas they are study­ing are prospective memory, concurrent task management, stress, and visual search. As always, the Agency actively shares this information with other governmental and nongovernmental aviation organizations, with the goal of increasing flight safety.[390]