ATPL 040 Human Performance case studies
ATPL 040 Human Performance · Put your knowledge to work in context.
Human Performance is one of the fourteen theoretical knowledge subjects in the EASA ATPL(A) and ATPL(H) syllabi, and it is also examined as a stand-alone subject for the ATPL. It is not a soft subject: roughly a fifth of the syllabus is physiology and another fifth is psychology, with the remainder split across human factors fundamentals, stress and fatigue, the advanced flight environment, crew coordination and operational HF. The ATPL 040 Human Performance case studies are 5 cases and about 2,845 words.
1Night Freight Sector After a Three-Hour Delay
At 02:40 local, a two-pilot cargo turboprop is ready to depart on a 1 h 20 min night sector. The crew reported at 22:00 for a 23:30 departure, but cargo loading slipped by three hours.
566 words, about 3 min2Rapid Decompression at FL410 with a Passenger on Oxygen
At FL410 in a light business jet, the cabin altitude is steady at 8,000 ft when the crew hears a sharp bang. Within seconds the cabin altitude warning sounds and the cabin climbs through 14,000 ft; the passenger oxygen masks deploy.
501 words, about 3 min3Black-Hole Visual Approach to an Upsloping Runway
At 21:30 local, a twin-engine turboprop is on a visual approach to runway 27 at a remote airfield. The runway is 1,800 m long and slopes upward by 1.2% toward the threshold; there is no PAPI or VASI, and there are almost no lights between the final approach fix and the runway.
506 words, about 3 min4Mode Confusion During a Late Runway Change
During a late runway change at night, a glass-cockpit twin is cleared to intercept the localizer for runway 09 and descend to 2,500 ft. The crew had briefed a different approach; the captain selects the new approach while the first officer programs the flight management system.
651 words, about 3 min5Cabin Odour and Headache on a Short Sector
On a 45-minute turboprop sector, the cabin crew report a 'hot oil' smell shortly after top of climb. Cabin altitude is normal at 7,500 ft.
621 words, about 3 min