Assignment Brief Academic Year 2019-20

Module code and

PI500 – Airline Operations & Human Factors Module leader: Ultan Kenny
title:

Assignment No. Assessment

Group Presentation (Air Accident Case Study) 50%
and type: weighting:

Submission time Target feedback

Various Upon Completion
and date: date:

Assignment task

Analyse the air accident case study provided by your tutors and present your findings. Your focus should
be on Crew Resource Management and the associated Human Factors involved, relating them back to
concepts of Human Factors such as HFACS.
Your presentation should be supported by a 1,500-word (+/- 10%) summary of the groups’ findings.

This assignment has been designed to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your
achievement of the following module learning outcomes:

LO 1 Analyse an air accident case study and provide information relating to Human Factors

Task requirements

The assignment, which takes the form of a group presentation supported by a summary, requires students
in their chosen groups to critically analyse an air accident case study and to present their findings in
relation to the human factors pertinent to the accident.

“The term "human factors" has grown increasingly popular as the commercial aviation industry has
realized that human error, rather than mechanical failure, underlies most aviation accidents and incidents.
If interpreted narrowly, Human Factors is often considered synonymous with Crew Resource Management
(CRM) or maintenance resource management (MRM). However, it is much broader in both its knowledge
base and scope. Human Factors involves gathering information about human abilities, limitations, and
other characteristics and applying it to tools, machines, systems, tasks, jobs, and environments to produce
safe, comfortable, and effective human use. In aviation, Human Factors is dedicated to better
understanding how humans can most safely and efficiently be integrated with the technology. That
understanding is then translated into design, training, policies, or procedures to help humans perform
better.” (Boeing, 2015)

It is important to ensure that:

Internal approval: C. Davenport,

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  Your presentation has a logical construction (e.g. Introduction and overview, main content,
summary, conclusions and recommendations)
 Equal contribution from all group members
 Avoid using notes. If you must, use just bullet points to remind yourself of the key points you wish
to make – but keep up the eye contact
 Presentation media – double-check aids are working prior to presentation
 Appropriate pace and clarity of speech
 Timing (each presentation to last no more than 45 minutes followed by question-and-answer
session)
 Please remember: each group must submit a summary of their air accident case study findings

NOTE: BOTH ELEMENTS OF THE ASSESMENT (PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY) NEED TO BE COMPLETED
IN ORDER TO HAVE A MARK RECORDED

This is a group assignment and will receive a group-based mark. It is assumed that all
members of each group will make an equal contribution to the work submitted. It is the
group’s responsibility to ensure that all members participate effectively. If for any reason
a member of the group has not contributed to the work the other members of the group
will be entitled to inform the module tutor.

Referencing and research requirements

Please reference your work according to the Harvard style as defined in Cite Them Right Online
(http://www.citethemrightonline.com). This information is also available in book form: Pears, R. and
Shields, G. (2019) Cite them right: the essential reference guide. 11th edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Copies are available via the University library.
You should use a wide range of sources, including but not limited to books, academic and business
journals as well as industry publications and websites. Aim for a minimum of one source per 100 words.

How your work will be assessed

Your work will be assessed on the extent to which it demonstrates your achievement of the stated
learning outcomes for this assignment (see above) and against other key criteria, as defined in the
University’s institutional grading descriptors. If it is appropriate to the format of your assignment and your
subject area, a proportion of your marks will also depend upon your use of academic referencing
conventions. This assignment will be marked according to the grading descriptors for Level 5.

Assessment Criteria:
Overview of the air accident …………………………………………………………………………………………………..……….10%

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 Analysis of CRM & the Human Factors associated with your air accident…….……...…..…………………....20%
Lessons learned from the air accident……………………………………………………………………………………..….…..25%
Summary which clearly captures presentation findings………………...………………………..……………….……..25%
Effective presentation structure and skills………………………………………………………………………………………10%
Harvard-style referencing with final references list included (presentation & summary)…………….….10%

Submission details

Group Presentation
1. All groups must complete the PowerPoint presentation as instructed in the Assignment Brief
2. A paper copy of the presentation slides must be handed to staff members immediately prior to the
start of the presentation
3. All group member names and I.D. numbers must be clearly shown on the first slide of the
PowerPoint presentation
4. You are reminded that it is your responsibility to keep both an electronic and a hard copy of your
assignment for future reference. You may be required to produce a copy of your assignment.

Summary

5. The Summary element of this assignment must be submitted electronically using Blackboard by
23.59 on the submission date.
6. To submit electronically you must upload your work to the e-submission area within the
Blackboard module concerned. Simple instructions are provided within the module.
7. You will receive a digital receipt as proof of submission. This will be sent to your Bucks e-mail
address; please keep this for reference.
8. You are reminded of the University’s regulations on cheating and plagiarism. In submitting your
assignment you are acknowledging that you have read and understood these regulations.
9. Late submission within 10 working days of the deadline will result in the mark for the assignment
being capped at 40%. Beyond this time the work will not be marked.

You are reminded that it is your responsibility to keep an electronic copy of all parts of your assignment
for future reference.
You are reminded that it is your responsibility to keep an electronic copy of all parts of your assignment
for future reference.
You are reminded of the University’s regulations on academic misconduct, which can be viewed on the
University website: https://bucks.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/9546/Academic-Misconduct-
Policy.pdf. In submitting your assignment, you are acknowledging that you have read and understood
these regulations.
Please also note that work that is submitted up to 10 working days beyond the submission date will be
considered a late submission. Late submissions will be marked and the actual mark recorded, but will be
capped at the pass mark (typically 40%), provided that the work is of a passing standard. Work submitted
after this period will not be marked and will be treated as a non-submission.

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 FOF PRESENTATION REQUIREMENTS

Below is a list of accidents/incidents that you are to investigate along with your group.
Make sure you look at the accidents/incidents from all angles but in particular try and find out as
much as you can about the people involved and their circumstances:

Some of the areas you might investigate (if applicable) are :

1. Technical aspects
2. Crew/team co-operation and teamwork
3. Effective / non-effective communications – both internal and external
4. ATC input
5. Regulations, rules and SOP’s
6. Internal, self-imposed and external stressors
7. Weather
8. Situational awareness
9. Leadership
10. “Group-think” aspects
11. Vested interests
12. Company inputs & monitoring systems
13. Research for further facts not covered by the brief
14. Decision-making and problem-solving aspects

The other 6 aspects to be careful with are:

1. A logical construction of the presentation:
i.e. Introduction and overview
Main content
Summary
Conclusions and recommendations
2. Avoid using notes. If you must, use just bullet points to remind yourself of the key points
you wish to make – but keep up the eye contact!
3. Presentation media – double-check aids are working prior to presentation
4. Speed and clarity of speech. Consider “role play”
5. TIMING! (Each presentation to last between 30 - 45 minutes followed by Q & As)
6. Please remember: Each group must provide Buckinghamshire New University employees
with a paper copy of the presentation slides prior to the start of the presentation

Programme
1st. Northwest 085 (09Oct02)
Discussion and debrief

2nd. American Airlines 965 (20Dec95)

Discussion and debrief

3rd. Air India Express 812 (22May10)

Discussion and debrief