Date of Award
Summer 2024
Embargo Period
8-1-2025
Access Type
Dissertation - Open Access
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Human Factors
Department
Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology
Committee Chair
Albert J. Boquet
First Committee Member
Scott A. Shappell
Second Committee Member
Stephen Rice
Third Committee Member
Tara Cohen
College Dean
Peter Hoffmann
Abstract
Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) is a growing industry that provides a vital service to transport critically ill or injured patients to healthcare facilities. This growth has come with an increase in rates of HEMS crashes and fatalities. Certain types of events commonly precede HEMS accidents such as continued flight into deteriorating weather conditions, night, and self-induced pressure, to name a few. Given that these causes and contributing factors can be seen time and again within HEMS accidents, the need arises for additional analysis of the human factors that play a role in accidents. This study addresses this need through an examination of human error and contributing factors in HEMS accidents. Data was collected through the review of NTSB accident reports of HEMS accidents. Instances of human error were identified and coded using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS). This study is a retrospective analysis of HEMS accidents. Analysis of types of errors committed revealed that skill-based errors were most common; however, violations were the only error type significantly associated with fatality. Findings were consistent with the literature in that flight into IMC and nighttime operations are the greatest threats to HEMS operations. Results also indicated similar accident frequencies across trip legs despite varying levels of workload. Additionally, investigation of accidents that happened during an interfacility transfer yielded disproportionate rates of fatality compared to non-transfer flights. These findings provide the basis for data driven interventions that will inform risk mitigation strategies and future safety management practices within HEMS.
Scholarly Commons Citation
Lawton, Paige, "An Analysis of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services and Human Error Contributors to Accidents" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses. 915.
https://commons.erau.edu/edt/915
