Enhancing aviation maintenance oversight through proactive quality auditing and human factors integration

Ayegba David Haruna 1, * and Olugbenga Olayinka Taiwo 2

1 Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, University of Michigan Dearborn, Michigan, USA.
2 Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Murray state University Kentucky, USA.
 
Research Article
World Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology and Sciences, 2024, 13(01), 1180-1199.
Article DOI: 10.30574/wjaets.2024.13.1.0419
 
Publication history: 
Received on 03 August 2024; revised on 11 September 2024; accepted on 28 September 2024
 
Abstract: 
In the past, mistakes made during aircraft maintenance have led to safety problems, which shows how important it is to have strong oversight of aircraft maintenance operations. This study's goal is to improve maintenance oversight at FAA Part 145 repair stations (which serve Part 121 airlines) by combining proactive quality auditing with human factors (HF) principles. We used both quantitative and qualitative methods. For example, we looked at audit records and incident reports and talked to maintenance workers. We created a proactive audit system based on a human factors framework (using SHELL model interfaces and Reason's Swiss Cheese theory) to find hidden mistakes before they get worse. The main results show that proactive quality audits, along with HF training and reporting, greatly lowered the number of maintenance mistakes and made it easier to follow the rules. Qualitative feedback showed that the culture of safety and reporting mistakes had gotten better. By looking at underlying human performance issues, adding human factors to auditing processes filled in gaps in oversight. These results show that a proactive, human-centered oversight model can make aviation maintenance much safer and more reliable.
 
Keywords: 
FAA Part 145; Part 121 operations; Maintenance Quality Audits; Human Factors; Safety Management; Aviation Safety; Oversight Compliance
 
Full text article in PDF: 

Click here

 
Copyright information: 
Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0