Pilot's complacency and confidence have been implicated as a contributing factors in numerous aviation accidents and incidents. It is related to ones belief that one is capable of performing in a certain manner to attain certain goals which is called 'Self-Efficacy' as a psychological concept. The purpose of this study was to construct and validate pilot's self-efficacy scale. This study examined the necessity of pilot efficacy in terms of pilot's confidence and complacency, and considered what is components and processes of pilot self-efficacy through the reference to literature. This Study newly defined 'pilot-efficacy' as vocational self-efficacy in flight operation field. Based on literature review and advisory group's review, there made 3 factors of Pilot-Efficacy:Flight-Efficacy, Relational/Communication Efficacy, and physical and psychological Stress-Coping Efficacy. Preliminary pilot-efficacy scale was administered to pilot group analysis Item analysis was conducted to select appropriate items and common factor analysis was done to identify the subcomponents of pilot efficacy scale. In result, 35 items were selected. The measurement of pilot efficacy for individual makes it possible to predict pilots' behavior when they make decision both normal and non-normal situation. This scale is expected to be not only predictable but also useful to enhance aviation safety. Finally, suggestion for following studies were discussed.
Accidents, Aviation ; Aviation

The causes of aviation accidents are not simple. Human error could possibly be caused by outside factors such as an environmental factor, laws and regulations, organizational, and national culture. An approach to an organizational factor on safety management and aircraft accident investigation is indispensable to improve aviation safety. Data collection from diversified sources is very important. Therefore, safety management focuses on safety inspections within the organization, and understanding the organization and employees' culture. Data from people who work in the aviation field must be merged with information technology to produce information and knowledge. Decision and policy making must be executed using knowledge-based aviation information. Policy makers must make it a priority to create an infrastructure for collecting data, transforming the data to information and the using information knowledge in amending aviation acts and regulations. The system that uses the infrastructure is composed of data collection from multi-channel, analysis and feedback to understand different culture organization-to-organization and country-to-country factors. Policy must be established and be enforced using this system to make it function positively. This study is a fundamental research to enhance aviation safety and to improve Korea's aviation acts and regulations.
Accidents, Aviation ; Administrative Personnel ; Aircraft ; Aviation* ; Data Collection ; Humans ; Jurisprudence ; Knowledge Management* ; Policy Making ; Safety Management* ; Social Control, Formal

On 19 December 1997, SilkAir Flight MI 185, a Boeing B737-300 airliner crashed into the Musi River near Palembang, Southern Sumatra, enroute from Jakarta, Indonesia to Singapore. All 104 passengers and crew onboard were killed. Of the human remains recovered, 6 positive identifications were made, including that of one Singaporean. Two of the identifications were by dental records, 2 by fingerprints, 1 by age estimation and 1 by personal effects. This paper describes the crash victim identification of Flight MI 185. The authors were part of an Indonesia- Singapore forensic team deployed for 3 weeks in Palembang to assist the Indonesian authorities in human remains identification.
Accidents, Aviation ; Child, Preschool ; Dental Records ; Dermatoglyphics ; Female ; Forensic Dentistry ; Humans ; Indonesia ; Male

Impact acceleration is one of the factors to which human body is exposed in aerospace exploring. When the impact level is greater than human tolerance, it usually results in human injuries which may be fatal. Therefore, in order to reduce or avert the risk of serious injury from crash impact, human tolerance to impact acceleration is a crucial consideration in aircraft since the beginning of aviation. The study on human tolerance to impact acceleration has become a cynosure in the realm of modern biomechanics. So this paper reviews the progress of the researches.
Acceleration ; adverse effects ; Accidents, Aviation ; Adaptation, Physiological ; Aerospace Medicine ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Computer Simulation ; Humans

While injuries to the spine after an airplane crash are not rare, most crashes result in fatal injuries. As such, few studies exist that reported on spine fractures sustained during airplane accidents. In this report, we demonstrate three cases of spine fractures due to crash landing of a commercial airplane. Three passengers perished from injuries after the crash landing, yet most of the passengers and crew on board survived, with injuries ranging from minor to severe. Through evaluating our three spine fracture patients, it was determined that compression fracture of the spine was the primary injury related to the airplane accident. The first patient was a 20-year-old female who sustained a T6-8 compression fracture without neurologic deterioration. The second patient was a 33-year-old female with an L2 compression fracture, and the last patient was a 49-year-old male patient with a T8 compression fracture. All three patients were managed conservatively and required spinal orthotics. During the crash, each of these patients were subjected to direct, downward high gravity z-axis (Gz) force, which gave rise to load on the spine vertically, thereby causing compression fracture. Therefore, new safety methods should be developed to prevent excessive Gz force during airplane crash landings.
Accidents, Aviation ; Adult ; Aircraft* ; Back Pain ; Female ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Hypergravity ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Fractures ; Spine* ; Young Adult