The Role of Aircraft Recorders in Human Performance Investigations 831414

About 60% of all accidents are attributed to limitations or degradations in pilot performance. Efforts to learn the reasons why these apparent errors in behavior or performance occur have been largely speculative until Flight Data Recorders and Cockpit Voice Recorders became available in large transport aircraft. Two accidents are examined in which the data provided by the aircraft recorders were employed to explain the underlying reasons for the sequence of events that culminated in the accidents. These analyses provide an insight into the behavioral, operational and environmental factors affecting pilot performance. It is concluded that aircraft recorders are essential basic tools of the human performance investigator requiring quality, dependability and state-of-the-art equipment to refine the investigative methodology of human performance investigations.