Impact of Automation on General Aviation Rotorcraft Mishaps: A Human Factors Analysis

As technology continues to advance, the aviation industry has seen an exponential growth in ‘glass cockpits,’ representing increasing adoption of automated systems in the cockpit. Although automation can relieve pilot workload and increases safety, inaccurate or inappropriate use of automation can also contribute to potentially fatal mishaps. The purpose of this study was to identify general aviation rotorcraft accidents caused by negative automation events and conduct a human factors analysis to determine additional influential factors. Using archival data from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), over 3,000 rotorcraft mishaps were examined for their contributory and causal factors. To help maintain objectivity, only cases with ‘Probable Cause’ or ‘Final Report’ were considered, as these contained contributory and causal factors identified by accident investigation experts. Using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS), researchers identified additional errors contributing to the accident and the specific type of automation event. Analysis of the mishap data revealed that 24% of all mishaps resulted in a fatality. Furthermore, 17 cases were identified as having experienced a negative automation event that significantly contributed to the mishap. Overall, automation seems to benefit pilots; however, because automated systems are designed by humans, error is a nearly unavoidable, intrinsic part of the system. Although it is often impossible to know the precise cause of these mishaps, automation events are significantly contributing to rotorcraft mishap fatalities. Pilots tend to over-rely on the automation to either provide them with the appropriate information and/or take the appropriate corrective action. When the automation does not respond appropriately/accurately, pilots are unable to handle the degrading scenario. Automation is often seen as a solution to human error and inefficiency, so it is implemented without fully understanding its impact on the user and the system as a whole. The current study provides insight into pilots' relationships with automation and the ensuing consequences.