Human Performance and Limitations Flashcards

Time of Useful Consciousness (TUC) at FL350 without supplemental oxygen is approximately:

Answer: 30–60 seconds

At FL350 (approximately 35,000 ft), TUC is only 30–60 seconds due to the very low partial pressure of oxygen, leaving pilots very little time to don oxygen masks.

Which of the following best describes spatial disorientation in flight?

Answer: A false perception of the aircraft's attitude, motion, or position

Spatial disorientation is a false or incorrect perception of the aircraft's position, attitude, or movement relative to the earth, caused by misleading sensory information.

The 'leans' is a form of spatial disorientation caused by:

Answer: A gradual undetected roll with a rapid correction sensed as a new roll

The leans occur when a gradual undetected bank is corrected quickly — the rapid correction is sensed as a bank in the opposite direction, causing the pilot to feel leaned toward the original bank.

Hypoxia at altitude primarily affects which cognitive functions first?

Answer: Higher cognitive functions including judgment and decision-making

Hypoxia impairs higher-order cognitive functions first — including judgment, reasoning, and decision-making — while the pilot may feel euphoric and unaware of impairment.

Crew Resource Management (CRM) training primarily aims to reduce accidents caused by:

Answer: Communication breakdowns and poor decision-making in the cockpit

CRM training addresses the human factors root cause of most aviation accidents: poor communication, ineffective crew coordination, and flawed decision-making under stress.

The SHELL model in human factors stands for:

Answer: Software, Hardware, Environment, Liveware, Liveware

The SHELL model represents the components of aviation systems: Software (procedures/regulations), Hardware (equipment), Environment (physical/organizational), and Liveware (humans), with the central Liveware being the pilot.