Accident Timeline and Analysis:
Introduction:
A better understanding of the factors that contribute to an accident provides a better opportunity to prevent similar accidents from happening in the future. However, it takes a lot of time and effort to unravel an accident like the Colgan Air. It is easy to jump to conclusions. Investigators need to look at all the pieces, avoid relying on judgement or hindsight, and really try to view the accident from the perspective of the people that experienced it. They need to consider each action as it occurred in context based on information immediately available as the accident progressed, not after the fact.
Instructions:
Construct a timeline of the Colgan Air 3407 accident, classifying actions according to HFACS, i.e, Unsafe Acts. Your timeline can begin as far back as you care to investigate, just remember that including or excluding events based on where you start could alter your conclusions. Once you’ve established your timeline consider how this accident would be analyzed from both an NAT and HRT perspective. Provide a comparison and discuss how each could help or hinder the understanding and learning gained from the analysis.
Grading:
Your timeline clearly indicates significant events and actions. Where appropriate these are classified according to the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System.
Include at least a 750 word written analysis with your timeline that includes the following:
Summarizes the basics of NAT and HRT, and
Compares how each would view this accident. How might you argue this accident supports NAT’s or HRT’s conclusions? How would each add to or take away from the investigator’s conclusions? What recommendations would NAT or HRT make to prevent similar accidents?