The impact of human factors on pilots' safety behavior in offshore aviation companies: A brazilian case

This study explores the concepts of human factors and their key role in the safety of offshore aviation companies through qualitative research. Since between 70% and 80% of all aviation accidents are attributable to a human error somewhere in the chain of causation, the more efficient attempts to reduce the aviation accident rates are those that are developed upon a sound understanding and application of human factors. The objective of this paper is to identify the main human factors that impact the safety of Brazilian offshore aviation operations and their adverse role on pilots' behavior. By mapping those human factors and comprehending their implications on pilots' safety behavior, managers and aviation safety professionals would have a better knowledge of the context of the sector and their company specificities. In order to dive into which human factors pilots of different levels of expertise and experience perceived as the most relevant to their safety, 16 helicopter pilots were interviewed. The results indicate that the current situation of the Brazilian offshore aviation sector is unique as well as delicate. Offshore aviation companies demonstrate, to some extent, a disregard for human factors, especially when they negatively impact profitability. Hence, those organizations need to approach aviation safety in a comprehensive and meticulous way if they don't want to witness current mishap rates producing an unacceptable frequency of accidents due to human factors.