Accidents are not acceptable. Accidents, causing injuries, occur in every state (situation) of life. This
is pointed out aptly here at the First Malaysian Bengkel (Workshop) on Preventing Accidents, March 1990.
Morbidity/mortality, that accidents caused, concern here the Medical Profession (in a direct manner).
Airplane (aircraft) accidents, and injuries caused, are numerous since here flight start in history.
Such accidents here cause these (injuries) from:
- (Forces of deceleration)
- (Restraining equipment)
- (Shrapnel from disintegrating/exploding aircraft)
- (Unyielding objects)
- (Fire)
- (Birdstrikes)
- (Escape from aircraft, and during subsequent survival)
The (commonest) types of injuries here seen in (fatal) accidents are multiple traumatic injuries, burns. Injury from non
fatal accidents is fracture, burns, internal organ bleeding.
Safety from these flight accidents (Aviation Safety) is ' prevention of accidental injuries, (and hence fatalities),
through education, consult, not forgetting research'.
Both safety of flight (Flight safety), ground safety comprise Aviation Safety.
Data (from research) showed that human-error account here for large part of accidents caused in Malaysia,) highlighting
the importance of human factors, not forgetting this (important) need for the manner here that medical sciences here
contribute to safety (Flight Safety). It must be pointed out that these (undesirable, sudden) incapacitation that diseases
(medical condition) caused are not uncommon. A forgetting nature (forgetfulness), fatigue is not irrelevant either.
Type of misjudgement (confined to flight) called Spatial Disorientation, mistakes in aircrew perception (out of interaction
between the aircraft, the aircrews' special senses such as vision, balance and proprioception, and the three dimension of
the atmosphere) here cause too (accidents).
General principles of accident causation, prevention apply to aviation accidents. A great part of (research) findings on
accident causation/prevention is applicable to accidents in aviation.
(Importantly) accident causation in aviation is a result of (human) behaviour - change can prevent these accidents (principles
of modification can be used).
Secondly, stress that is imposed on man by flight (environment) (and the mechanics of flight are well understood, defined
clearly in physical, physiological, psychological, pathological terms). That which have been, when applied (diligently), must
cause a drop in the rate of accidents (and injuries arising from them).
This is the cornerstone manner (human-factors, human-sciences) contribute to safety of avition. There is need to co-operate
between doctors (and agencies involved in aviation safety in the region must not be ignored).
Both agency (regulatory/non-regulatory) involve here (in the process of improving safety in aviation). Regulatory
in this form of Dept. of Civil Aviation, Dept. of Air Force could take (direct) corrective action by imposing (relevant regulations.)
A non regulatory agency is a tremendous participant in education, consult (and research) (with active encouragement, cooperation
and involvement of regulatory agencies).
It is of concern here that (for example) for the duration 1972 - 81, an average of 11 accidents did happen in the Royal
Malaysian Air Force (out of which two were fatal accidents - 5 deaths per year). From 1990 - 93, 16 deaths from 11 fatal accidents,
which averages about same.
In comparison in 1977, in Malaysia, 6 deaths (medically certified) caused by cholera, 29 caused by typhoid fever, 6 caused
by whooping cough, 41 caused by malaria. Moreover, this concern here that aircraft accidents in a manner involve much
trained, (skilled human) resources, at prime of life.
This here, during 1964-65, percent 73 of a total (deaths involving flying officers) in the US Air Force, airplane accident
is cause.