Terry L. von Thaden, PhD
Title: Professor of Human Factors
Department: Aviation Human Factors Division
College: Institute of Aviation
Interview
What classes do you teach?
- Aviation Accident Investigation and Analysis
- Crew/Cockpit Resource Management
- Aviation Psychology
- Safety Informatics
What do you enjoy most about teaching at Illinois?
There is no other professional flight program with a degree in human factors. I’m afforded the opportunity at Illinois to teach some of my favorite subjects in the world. I also enjoy keeping in contact with former students. They’ve shared some of the pitfalls and joys of the current industry, and in turn I’ve worked with airlines to research safety issues. I still haven’t had a former student of mine piloting a commercial flight on which I’ve been a passenger, but that day will come, and when it does, I’ll feel confident there’s a pilot with good decision skills on the flightdeck.
Do you have a unique teaching method or project you assign?
In Crew Resource Management (CRM) I assign a project to demonstrate the students’ comprehension of the subject matter by assigning them a film to assess for aspects of CRM. It’s always entertaining and the students get a kick out of applying what they’ve learned to settings outside of their normal comfort zone. It helps them think outside the box and learn to apply CRM to all aspects of life, not just aviation.
Describe your greatest professional accomplishment.
This is a tough question. I think one accomplishment I’m quite proud of was performing research and analysis in the mid 1990s as part of a Washington, DC based team, to make the argument for the successful legislation to update first aid kits and training on US air carriers. This included equipping aircraft with portable external defibrillators.
What sparked your interest in your field of study?
I was out flying one day in New England. It was a beautiful clear day that makes you happy to be alive, but ecstatic if you’re flying. I made an uncharacteristically hard landing and much to my chagrin, I had spectators in the form of four people readying to fly out of the same airfield. When I got out onto the tarmac, the four were smiling over in my direction. I grinned back and shrugged my shoulders at them. Little did I know at the time, these four people I shared a small joke with would all be dead in less than ten minutes. Through a series of events, the plane crashed upon takeoff, killing everyone aboard in the ensuing fire. We were unable to save them and left asking too many questions about why the accident happened. I had previously thought about a career in aviation safety on numerous occasions, but was already through college and firmly established in a design career. After that event I decided to pursue human factors and accident investigation full time. Which of course meant returning to school.
What's your favorite aspect of life at Illinois?
No traffic, everywhere you look there's an emergency landing field, and the nicest people on earth.
What book, related to your field, do you recommend reading?
Fate Is The Hunter by Ernest K. Gann
Do you have any advice for entering students?
We never stop learning throughout life, so don't be afraid to speak up, ask questions, and contribute to the process.