Aviation Safety in South Sudan

Africa contributes only 3.9% in air traffic, but records 19% of aviation accidents, in terms of fatalities. High accident rates are attributed to poor compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). This study analyzed the prevalence of aircraft accidents in the youngest African country, South Sudan, which obtained independence in July 9, 2011. The quantitative study examined aviation accident databases to determine the number of aircraft accidents in South Sudan, the aircraft manufacturers and aircraft models, number of fatalities, and causes of accidents, categorized as pilot error, technical failure, air traffic control, or weather-related events. The accidents were collected from the Aviation Safety Network (ASN) database, which is maintained by the Flight Safety Foundation. A total of 83 accident cases were examined, with 32 satisfying the criteria of accidents covering the July 2011 to May 2021 period. The findings show that Antonov aircrafts account for a majority of the accidents (31.25%), followed by Cessna (21.88%) and LET (15.63%). The 32 aircrafts involved in the accidents were carrying 378 occupants, 72 occupants died, representing a fatality rate of 19.5%. Antonov (66.67%) and LET (27.7%) contributed the greatest fatalities. In terms of accident causes, technical failures (46.9%) and pilot errors (43.8%) were the most dominant causes. Weather-related conditions only contributed to 9.4% of all the cases investigated. These results show that South Sudan continues to suffer from poor aviation infrastructure, poor compliance to internationally recognized SARPs.

Development and Evaluation of Cueing Symbology for Rotorcraft Operations in Degraded Visual Environment (Dve)

Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) is experienced when helicopters enter Inadvertent Instrument Meteorological Conditions (I-IMC). DVE can occur in the form of fog, night flight occurring naturally or when pilots try to land in unprepared (dusty, snowy) landing zones causing brownouts and whiteouts from rotor downwash. The Degraded Visual Environment Navigation Support (DVENS) project aimed to use a LiDAR to scan a specified Field of View (FOV) and range to identify a zone to be safe or unsafe for landing in a simulation capacity. A Head Down Display (HDD) with touch capabilities was used to provide Virtual Visual Meteorological Conditions (V-VMC), in which 3D conformal, 2D orthographic symbology is displayed. For the iterative design of the symbology, to diagnose and minimize pilot error in DVE the Taxonomic Framework for Aircrew Error evaluation is used. The framework allowed for a more direct design approach with clear objectives based on operational requirements and presenting an optimal workload for pilots. Maintaining the objective of showing the required information to the pilots while minimizing clutter is imperative as too much information can increase workload. Thus, the aircrew error Taxonomic framework helps identify the design goals required to neutralize pilot error leading to an efficient design. The Ryerson Mixed Immersive Motion Simulation (MIMS) lab’s Fixed Base Simulator (FBS) and CAE, Presagis’s HELI CRAFT were used as the simulation testing tools. Non-intrusive questionnaires such as NASA Task Load Index (TLX), Bedford and Cooper-Harper display rating scales were used to provide feedback and evaluate the display system. Multiple scales were used for validation of results and to measure the workload, stress, physical, psychological and time loads. This methodology and design were found to be extremely helpful in assisting pilots to land, take off in DVE and IIMC conditions.

Development and Evaluation of Cueing Symbology for Rotorcraft Operations in Degraded Visual Environment (Dve)

Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) is experienced when helicopters enter Inadvertent Instrument Meteorological Conditions (I-IMC). DVE can occur in the form of fog, night flight occurring naturally or when pilots try to land in unprepared (dusty, snowy) landing zones causing brownouts and whiteouts from rotor downwash. The Degraded Visual Environment Navigation Support (DVENS) project aimed to use a LiDAR to scan a specified Field of View (FOV) and range to identify a zone to be safe or unsafe for landing in a simulation capacity. A Head Down Display (HDD) with touch capabilities was used to provide Virtual Visual Meteorological Conditions (V-VMC), in which 3D conformal, 2D orthographic symbology is displayed. For the iterative design of the symbology, to diagnose and minimize pilot error in DVE the Taxonomic Framework for Aircrew Error evaluation is used. The framework allowed for a more direct design approach with clear objectives based on operational requirements and presenting an optimal workload for pilots. Maintaining the objective of showing the required information to the pilots while minimizing clutter is imperative as too much information can increase workload. Thus, the aircrew error Taxonomic framework helps identify the design goals required to neutralize pilot error leading to an efficient design. The Ryerson Mixed Immersive Motion Simulation (MIMS) lab’s Fixed Base Simulator (FBS) and CAE, Presagis’s HELI CRAFT were used as the simulation testing tools. Non-intrusive questionnaires such as NASA Task Load Index (TLX), Bedford and Cooper-Harper display rating scales were used to provide feedback and evaluate the display system. Multiple scales were used for validation of results and to measure the workload, stress, physical, psychological and time loads. This methodology and design were found to be extremely helpful in assisting pilots to land, take off in DVE and IIMC conditions.

Marine pilotage in Namibia

As Namibia implements the strategy of expanding its ports to achieve the strategic goal of becoming the regional logistics hub of choice, a clear and urgent need exists to upskill pilots. To that end, this article examines the Namibian law on pilotage in three areas: (i) the master– pilot relationship; (ii) the vicarious liability for pilot error; and (iii) the standards of training and certification of pilots. It does so having regard to case law, best practices of leading maritime nations and international standards. The article ends by recommending the urgent revision of the primary legislation and the regulations that govern the Namibian Ports Authority.

Modeling pilot mental workload using information theory

Predicting mental workload of pilots can provide cockpit designers with useful information to reduce the possibility of pilot error and cost of training, improve the safety and performance of systems, and increase operator satisfaction. We present a theoretical model of mental workload, using information theory, based on review investigations of how effectively task complexity, visual performance, and pilot experience predict mental workload. The validity of the model was confirmed based on data collected from pilot taxiing experiments. Experiments were performed on taxiing tasks in four different scenarios. Results showed that predicted values from the proposed mental workload model were highly correlated to actual mental workload ratings from the experiments. The findings indicate that the proposed mental workload model appears to be effective in the prediction of pilots’ mental workload over time.

Pilot error in process of helicopter starting

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify potential helicopter pilots’ errors during their interaction with the flight deck in the process of starting a helicopter in night-time conditions. Design/methodology/approach Systematic Human Error Reduction and Prediction Approach is used for the analysis of the pilot–flight deck interaction. This methodology was used for the identification of errors for 30 pilots during a period of 10 years. In total, 55 errors were identified, and most common errors noted are: error of omission, caused by pilots’ lack of attention or longer periods of no flying, and error of wrong execution, caused by misunderstanding a situation. Findings Hierarchical task analysis and classification of pilot’s tasks were used for the analysis of consequences, probability of occurrence, criticality and remedial strategies for the identified pilot error. Research limitations/implications This paper does not give an ergonomic analysis of the flight deck, as that is not its subject. However, results of the research presented in this paper, together with results presented in references, clearly show that there are disadvantages in the ergonomic design of flight decks. Practical implications Based on the identified pilot errors and with respect of existing ergonomic solution, it is possible to begin with the reconstruction of flight decks. Social implications Higher quality of pilot–flight deck interaction must be ensured for both pilots’ and passengers’ safety, as even a slightest error can lead to catastrophic consequences. Originality/value The value of this paper lies in the fact that it points to the need for synergy of ergonomic design and human reliability methods.