Analysis of Turkish Civil Aviation Accidents Between 2003 And 2017

Abstract

Aviation accidents are caused by a chain of errors in many steps. Detection and classification of human factors in accidents are critical for taking effective precautions. This study aims to investigate the factors affecting civil aviation accidents in Turkey and increase aviation safety by raising awareness against the contributing factors in the accidents. Final accident reports of Turkish Civil Aviation Accidents, including fatalities or injuries between 2003 and 2017, were analysed retrospectively using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS). 59 aviation accidents were included in this study. Crew Resource Management (CRM) (41.4%), Loss of Situational Awareness (LSA) (39.0%), and meteorology (29.2%) were found to be the most contributing factors in 41 Plane, Helicopter, Glider (PHG) accidents, while meteorology (77.7%) and CRM (61.1%) were found to be the most contributing factors in 18 Balloon accidents. The rate of HFACS levels in the PHG/Balloon accidents were found to be 90.2%/66.6% in Level-1 (Unsafe Acts), 95.1%/100% in Level-2 (Preconditions for Unsafe Acts), 78.0%/94.4% in Level-3 (Unsafe Supervision), and 58.5/83.3% in Level-4 (Organizational Influences). These findings show that human factors are still major contributing factors in aviation accidents. Academic training like CRM, Aviation Meteorology and LSA should be given more frequently to the aviators to prevent accidents. Including Spatial Disorientation, hypoxia, and night vision practical training into the civilian pilot training and integrating HFACS into the "Aviation Safety Management System" might help to reduce aviation accident rates.