Culpability in aviation - it's not 2025 everywhere

Sammanfattning

The purpose of this study was to investigate when human error is deemed to be culpable in a context of aviation and Just Culture. The study was conducted through a literature review together with a qualitative interview study with stakeholders in Swedish airlines and relevant authorities. For a long time there has been a tendency to see humans as faulty and blameworthy, while safety scholars suggest that human nature is rather fallible. The perspective of culpability in Just Culture is complex as it doesn’t hold immutable features independent of the situation. There is a duality when it comes to investigations following an accident. On one hand there is an interest in the eye of the judiciary system to investigate and legally prosecute if any laws have been violated, and on the other hand from the safety perspective - to investigate what has happened and how recurrence can be prevented, to improve overall safety.