Helicopter maintenance error analysis: Beyond the third order of the HFACS-ME

Abstract

In this paper a statistical analysis of a sample of 58 helicopter maintenance-induced safety occurrences is conducted to study helicopter accidents and incidents’ survivability and the severity distribution of such occurrences. Analysis is also carried out to identify helicopter main and sub-systems mostly exposed to maintenance errors and to determine various types of such errors. Expected inherent relations between rotorcraft components affected and types of associated maintenance errors are investigated. Human factors-based triggers of these accidents and severe incidents are explored. The concept of Specific Failures (SFs) that immediately precede each of such occurrences is introduced for more detailed representation of the last breached individual and organizational safety barriers. Root causes of these safety occurrences were then sought utilizing the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System-Maintenance Extension (HFACS-ME) taxonomy with a refined focus on its third order categories’ list. The rotorcraft characteristics influencing individuals and organizational behaviours within Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul organizations (MROs) are discussed in the light of the root cause investigation results. Relevance to industry The study of human reliability within helicopter maintenance industry is waited to emphasise the understanding of causes and propagation mechanisms of maintainers' errors and their consequences on the overall aviation safety. Previous works often investigated maintenance errors and their roles in promoting aviation accidents of fixed-wing aircraft; this research is investigating the case of rotorcraft.