An evaluation of the Aviation Maintenance Climate Assessment Survey (MCAS), applies to the 3rd Marine Air Wing

Abstract

Faced with aging aircraft and fewer acquisitions, Naval Aviation has redoubled its effort to preserve assets through preventative maintenance and reduction of aircraft mishaps. Eighty percent of all mishaps are due in part to human error, and approximately one out of five major mishaps are due to maintainer, line, or facility related factors. Among various efforts to systematically reduce mishaps is the use of the Maintenance Climate Assessment Survey (MCAS). This survey is designed to capture maintainer perceptions of safety. This thesis analyzes the results of 977 responses to MCAS given to the 3rd Marine Air Wing (MAW) maintenance personnel. In addition, it explores the MCAS's relationship with human errors present in 21 maintenance-related incidents (MRIs) using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System - Maintenance Extension. This analysis finds statistically different responses among the squadrons of the 3rd MAW to the MCAS. These differences show the MCAS can detect variations between aviation units and associated Model of Organization Safety Effectiveness components. While no significant correlation between the nine adequately surveyed squadrons and their MRIs is found, a content analysis of the MCAS shows there is a relationship between the MRIs a squadron experiences and the items of the six MOSE components.