Air Traffic Volume and Air Traffic Control Human Errors

Abstract

Navigable airspaces are becoming more crowded with increasing air traffic, and the number of accidents caused by human errors is increasing. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the relationship be-tween air traffic volume and human error in air traffic control (ATC). First, the paper identifies categories and elements of ATC human error through a review of existing literature, and a study through interviews and surveys of ATC safety experts. And then the paper presents the results of an experiment conducted on 52 air traffic controllers sampled from the Korean ATC organization to find out if there is any relationship between traffic volume and air traffic controller human errors. An analysis of the experiment clearly showed that sev-eral types of ATC human error are influenced by traffic volume. We hope that the paper will make its con-tribution to aviation safety by providing a realistic basis for securing proper manpower and facility in accor-dance with the level of air traffic volume.