Fuzzy Sets Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) of Helicopter Accident Casualties Based on HFACS Model

Abstract

AbstractWith the increasing use of civil helicopters, the number and frequency of accidents and air crashes involving helicopters is also on the rise. To explore the factors influencing helicopter accidents and the pathways of low accident casualty generation, based on 27 helicopter accident/accident symptom investigation reports released by the Civil Aviation Administration of China from June 2018 to September 2020, the HFACS model (Human Factors Analysis and Classification System) was used as a theoretical framework and the fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) method was applied to explore the complex mechanism and causal asymmetry of multiple concurrent conditions and low accident casualties in the four dimensions of accident occurrence. The fsQCA method was used to investigate the mechanisms and pathways of accident occurrence. Based on the four pathways obtained, it is found that: helicopter safety accident occurrence is a typical multi-conditional complex relationship with multiple concurrent conditions; pilot error or violation is still an important factor in accident generation; in the case of pilot error or violation, the ways to reduce accident casualties are to ensure that the aircraft is fault-free and the terrain and weather are compatible with the flight conditions, and to ensure that unsafe supervision is in place or that organizational management is up to standard.KeywordsHelicopterHFACSFuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) Method