Cockpit checklists - Concepts, design, and use

Although the aircraft checklist has long been regarded as a foundation of pilot standardization and cockpit safety, it has escaped the scrutiny of the human factors profession. The improper use, or nonuse, of the normal checklist by flight crews is often cited as a major contributing factor to aircr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human factors 1993-06, Vol.35 (2), p.345-359
Main Authors: Degani, Asaf, Wiener, Earl L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air transportation
Aircraft
Aircraft accidents
Aircraft accidents & safety
Aircraft industry
Behavioral Sciences
Biological and medical sciences
Check lists
Commercial aircraft
Design
Ergonomics. Human factors
Field study
Flight crews
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human factors
Marine transportation
Occupational psychology
Pilots
Profession
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Resource management
Space flight
Standardization
Transportation industry
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Summary:Although the aircraft checklist has long been regarded as a foundation of pilot standardization and cockpit safety, it has escaped the scrutiny of the human factors profession. The improper use, or nonuse, of the normal checklist by flight crews is often cited as a major contributing factor to aircraft accidents. This paper reports the results of a field study of flight deck checklists and examines this seemingly mundane yet critical device from several perspectives: its functions, format, design, length, and usage, and the limitations of the humans who must interact with it. Certain sociotechnical factors, such as the airline 'culture', cockpit resource management, and production pressures that influence the design and use of this device, are also discussed. Finally, a list of design guidelines for normal checklists is provided. Although the focus of this paper is on the air transport industry, most of the principles discussed apply equally well to other high-risk industries, such as maritime transportation, power production, weapons systems, space flight, and medical care.
ISSN:0018-7208
1547-8181
DOI:10.1177/001872089303500209