Human Factors & Professional Skills
The Dirty Dozen Human Factors
Never rely on memory alone; use the checklist every time.
THE 4 MODULESOne at a time, video and slides
- Handovers, vigilance and current data Communication, Complacency, and Knowledge.
- Recovering from interruptions Distraction, Teamwork, and Fatigue.
- Saying no and grounding Resources, Pressure, and Assertiveness.
- Unwritten rules and awareness Stress, Awareness, and Norms.
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO4 things, on the job
- Recognize the twelve factors.
- Apply individual safety nets.
- Assert airworthiness standards.
- Execute safe handovers.
TEST YOURSELFA question from module 2
A technician working through a maintenance manual checklist is called away to another aircraft and marks the incomplete work before leaving. On returning, the technician believes step 9 was the last one done. What comes next?
A Go back three steps in the checklist and restart from there.
Right. The Go Back 3 Steps warning says to go back exactly 3 steps in the maintenance manual checklist before restarting, to ensure no steps were missed.
B Continue from step 10, since step 9 is remembered clearly.
Not quite. A distracted technician can lose their place and return to work at the wrong point, so memory is not trusted after an interruption.
C Carry on, because the incomplete work was already marked.
Not quite. Marking the work is the step taken when interrupted, and the technician still goes back exactly 3 steps on returning.
D Continue from step 10 and have a teammate inspect the work afterward.
Not quite. A later inspection does not replace going back exactly 3 steps before restarting, and the secondary inspector is the safety net for working while fatigued.
Stuck? In the course, Crew Chief, your AI tutor, explains it.
HANGAR CARD · FREEThe pocket card that goes with it
After a distraction, go back 3 steps — never resume from memory.
| Number | What it means |
|---|---|
| Over 80% | of aviation accidents are attributable to human error — Dirty Dozen preconditions |
| 30% | of verbal communication is received and understood — write the handover down |
| 15% | of maintenance errors — distraction, the number one cause of skipped steps |
| 3 steps | back in the manual checklist before restarting after any distraction |
| 12-hour | shift extended under pressure — junior tech stayed silent, unairworthy aircraft released |
| TP 12863E | Transport Canada — Human Factors for Aviation, Basic Handbook |
Before the task: check
PANEL STAYS OPEN
BUILT ONThe standards behind it
- FAA Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance — the Dirty DozenThe FAA's guidance principles for identifying and managing the twelve human factors, the framework for the whole course.
- FAA Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance — fatigue and distraction guidanceBackground to Module 2's safety nets, such as marking interrupted work, going back three steps and secondary inspection when fatigued.
- FAA Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance — pressure, resources and assertivenessBackground to Module 3's assertive workflow, from verifying resources before work to formally grounding the aircraft.
- FAA Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance — stress, situational awareness and normsBackground to Module 4 on how stress erodes situational awareness and how informal norms replace approved procedures.
QUESTIONSWhat technicians ask first
- Who is this course for?
- Maintenance technicians, mechanics and aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs). It assumes experience in aviation maintenance or a related safety-critical field, and familiarity with standard maintenance procedures and documentation.
- What should a technician do after being interrupted mid-task?
- Disconnect completely from the task and physically mark the incomplete work straight away. On returning, go back exactly 3 steps in the maintenance manual checklist before restarting, so no step is missed.
- How should a shift handover be run?
- State the most critical airworthiness information first and repeat it at the end. Back the verbal briefing with a written one and a physical checklist so the outgoing and incoming technicians' mental pictures match, because only about 30% of verbal communication is received and understood.
- What if a required part, tool or document is missing?
- Stop work and arrange proper pooling or loaning of parts from approved sources; never improvise tools or bypass approved materials. If a required resource is missing or a repair would have to be improvised, formally ground the aircraft until proper resources are obtained.
- Is saying no to an unapproved shortcut insubordination?
- The course says it is not: refusing an unapproved shortcut is how a technician meets the regulatory requirement to perform work only to approved or acceptable data. Express concerns positively, raise unachievable deadlines with supervisors immediately, and ask for help if the pressure becomes too great.
- What if a technician is fatigued but cleared to work?
- Have a secondary inspector or teammate independently double-check the completed work. Do not execute complex critical tasks at the bottom of your circadian rhythm, and run a pre-task self-assessment for fatigue symptoms before starting.
