Micah's Blog

     In 1988 the Aviation Safety Research Acts was passed. This was a major milestone for the advancement of the aviation industry. This act aimed to highlight human factors in aviation, air traffic control improvements, and the effects of corrosion on aircraft structures to name a few. The results of this at help to sustain long-term research into what human factors are contributing to aviation accidents and incidents. Prior to this there had been little research done to determine the underlying factors outside of just attributing accidents to human error.       Additionally, this helped to shine light and allocate resources to older airframes still in use. With both the deep look into what can be done to save or replace older aircraft fleets and the effects of corrosion on aircrafts the entire fleet was made safer by not allowing potentially unairworthy aircraft to fly. The Aloha Airline flight 243, coincidentally occurred in 1988 too. This was a res...

Human factors in aviation has always and will always be an area that requires attention to ensure the risks are mitigated. I am sure we have all heard some form of the phrase “I’m only human” referencing a mistake that was made. Despite rapid gains in technology, humans are ultimately responsible for ensuring the success and safety of the aviation industry (Graeber, n.d.). Human factors are a focus on how to optimize the performance and output of human workers while also taking the proper precautions to avoid human error events. This spans across all fields of aviation and is not just limited to pilots. If a maintenance technician does an improper repair or forgets a step it can cause a crash, that is a human error. The human factors are complex because they include things like training, competence, professionalism, and human limitations (Federal Aviation Administration [FAA], n.d.). As technology continues to advance there are constant innovative way to enhance human factors and limi...

Cyber Threats       An emerging threat within the aviation industry and involving airports is cyber attacks and cyberterrorism. A cyber attack is a n attack, via cyberspace, targeting an enterprise’s use of cyberspace for the purpose of disrupting, disabling, destroying, or maliciously controlling a computing environment/infrastructure; or destroying the integrity of the data or stealing controlled information  (Computer Security Resource Center, n.d.). In todays digital age the consequences of cyberterrorism are far reaching and can be catastrophic. The TSA's 20 layers of security primarily focus on the physical security side of things. I think the cyber security is a part of many of the 20 layers, but as the world and aviation industry rely more on technology cyber security should have a more predominate focus. By adding cyber security to the layers the TSA will help ensure a more complete protection of the assets and passengers they protect. Many of the cybe...