The U.S. Navy's aviation safety program: A critical review

Safety research has shown that human error, as opposed to mechanical failure, is a major causal factor in accidents in high-reliability organizations. In U.S. Naval aviation, human error accounts for more than 80% of mishaps. This paper represents the first attempt to summarize the elements of the U.S. Naval aviation safety program in a single document, and disseminate it to a non-military audience. The program is discussed in the context of safety research carried out in other military and high-reliability organizations. The many areas in which the U.S. Navy has learned from other high-reliability organizations are identified, and areas in which the elements of the Navy's safety program could be adapted to mitigate the human factors causes of mishaps in commercial aviation delineated.