Areas of expertise
- Air Transport Safety & Investigation
- Human Factors
- Safety, Resilience, Risk & Reliability
Background
Graham holds a BSc (Hons) in Transport Management and Planning and a PhD in Aviation Safety Management from Loughborough University. From 1997 to 2003, he taught Aviation Safety and Human Factors at the University of New South Wales in Australia and was involved in a range of research projects covering ATC, cabin safety, rescue and firefighting and engineering human factors.
Graham joined Cranfield University in 2003 as the Director of the Safety and Accident Investigation Centre where he launched new multimodal accident investigation courses in 2004 and the world's first MSc for aircraft accident investigators in 2005. He was promoted to Professor and Head of the Department of Air Transport in 2006, Head of the Transport and Safety Engineering Division in 2013 and Director of the Transport Systems Theme in 2015.
In 2011, Graham led the University's successful bid for a Queen's Anniversary Prize. This is the highest honour that can be given to a UK academic institution and was awarded for Cranfield's "world-leading work in aviation safety through research and teaching in air accident investigation." In 2012, he was given the honour 'Distinguished Alumni' of Loughborough University and in 2013 he was able to collect the Flight Safety Foundation's Richard Teller Crane Founders Award on behalf of Cranfield University for its sustained corporate leadership in aviation safety.
In 2019, Graham led the University's successful bid for its sixth Queen's Anniversary Prize - for the University's flying classrooms and laboratories.
Research opportunities
Applications for PhD research in areas relating to transport safety management, accident investigation and human factors are always welcome.
Please contact Graham for a preliminary conversation about your area of interest.
Current activities
Professor Braithwaite is Director of Transport Systems - one of the eight industry-facing themes that make up Cranfield University. Transport Systems covers seven centres: Air Transport Management; Advanced Vehicle Engineering; the National Flying Laboratory Centre; Engineering Photonics; Integrated Vehicle Health Management; the Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC); and Safety & Accident Investigation. The Theme operates a number of unique facilities including a SAAB 340B+ Flying Classroom and Laboratory, Boeing 737 Ground Demonstrator, Accident Investigation Laboratory, the Multi User Environment for Autonomous Vehicle Innovation (MUEAVI) and an Off-Road Vehicle Dynamics Test Facility.
Graham is also Professor of Safety and Accident Investigation and the academic lead for the University's £67 million Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC) which became operational in 2021.
Graham is involved in the development and delivery of training for transport accident investigators and has a particular interest in safety culture. He regularly speaks at international symposia and conferences on the topic (e.g. Safeskies, the Royal Aeronautical Society, Shell Aircraft, CHC Safety & Quality Forum) and is regularly called upon to provide expert advice on safety from organisations including the news media (e.g. BBC, ITN, CNN), the aviation industry and the House of Commons Transport Select Committee.
Graham is the independent non-exec on the TUI Airways Safety Review Board and Independent Safety Adviser to the British Airways Board.
Clients
- Civil Aviation Authority
- Department for Transport
- European Maritime Safety Agency
- Laing O'Rourke
- National Police Air Service
- Air Safety Support International
- Capital A Berhad (AirAsia)
- Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd
- British Airways
- China Airlines
- EasyJet PLC
- AirTanker 2021 Ltd
- Boeing Co
- European Aviation Safety Agency
- Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department
- MTR Corporation Ltd (Hong Kong)
- Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (Hong Kong)
- Rail Accident Investigation Branch
- Australian Transport Safety Bureau
- ALPA Japan
- Japan Transport Safety Board
- QinetiQ Group PLC
- Belfast Airport
- Hong Kong International Airport
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Li W-C, Nichanian A, Lin J & Braithwaite G. (2024). What can we learn from severity index on flight data monitoring? Analysis of safety resilience in flight operations during COVID-19 disruptions. Ergonomics, 67(8)
- Wang Y, Li W-C, Korek WT & Braithwaite G. (2024). Future flight deck design: Developing an innovative touchscreen inceptor combined with the primary flight display. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 101
- Zhang J, Li W-C, Braithwaite G & Blundell J. (2024). Practice effects of a breathing technique on pilots’ cognitive and stress associated heart rate variability during flight operations. Stress, 27(1)
- Li W-C, Zhang J, Braithwaite G & Kearney P. (2023). Quick coherence technique facilitating commercial pilots’ psychophysiological resilience to the impact of COVID-19. Ergonomics, 66(8)
- Li W-C, Nichanian A, Lin J & Braithwaite G. (2023). Investigating the impacts of COVID-19 on aviation safety based on occurrences captured through flight data monitoring. Ergonomics, 66(10)
- Daniels S, Braithwaite G & Gratton G. (2023). Establishing best practices in the use of an upgraded airborne teaching laboratory. The Aeronautical Journal, 127(1315)
- Li W-C, Zhang J, Court S, Kearney P & Braithwaite G. (2022). The influence of augmented reality interaction design on Pilot's perceived workload and situation awareness. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 92(November)
- Li W, Kearney P, Zhang J, Hsu Y & Braithwaite G. (2021). The Analysis of Occurrences Associated with Air Traffic Volume and Air Traffic Controllers’ Alertness for Fatigue Risk Management. Risk Analysis, 41(6)
- Li W-C, Braithwaite G, Wang T, Yung M & Kearney P. (2020). The benefits of integrated eye tracking with airborne image recorders in the flight deck: A rejected landing case study. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 78
- Li W-C, Horn A, Sun Z, Zhang J & Braithwaite G. (2020). Augmented visualization cues on primary flight display facilitating pilot's monitoring performance. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 135
- Kearney P, Li W, Zhang J, Braithwaite G & Wang L. (2020). Human performance assessment of a single air traffic controller conducting multiple remote tower operations. Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing & Service Industries, 30(2)
- Harris JA, Denyer D, Harwood S, Braithwaite G, Jude S, .... (2020). Time to invest in global resilience. Nature, 583(7814)
- Kearney P, Li W-C, Yu C-S & Braithwaite G. (2019). The impact of alerting designs on air traffic controller’s eye movement patterns and situation awareness. Ergonomics, 62(2)
- Li W-C, Kearney P, Braithwaite G & Lin JJH. (2018). How much is too much on monitoring tasks? Visual scan patterns of single air traffic controller performing multiple remote tower operations. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 67
- Nixon J & Braithwaite GR. (2018). What do aircraft accident investigators do and what makes them good at it? Developing a competency framework for investigators using grounded theory. Safety Science, 103
- Lawrenson AJ & Braithwaite GR. (2018). Regulation or criminalisation: What determines legal standards of safety culture in commercial aviation?. Safety Science, 102
- Li W-C, Yu C-S, Braithwaite G & Greaves M. (2016). Pilots’ Attention Distributions Between Chasing a Moving Target and a Stationary Target. Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, 87(12)
- Yu C-S, Wang EM-Y, Li W-C, Braithwaite G & Greaves M. (2016). Pilots’ Visual Scan Patterns and Attention Distribution During the Pursuit of a Dynamic Target. Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, 87(1)
- Langer M & Braithwaite GR. (2016). The Development and Deployment of a Maintenance Operations Safety Survey. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 58(7)
- Underwood P, Waterson P & Braithwaite G. (2016). ‘Accident investigation in the wild’ – A small-scale, field-based evaluation of the STAMP method for accident analysis. Safety Science, 82
- Yu C-S, Wang EM-Y, Li W-C & Braithwaite G. (2014). Pilots’ Visual Scan Patterns and Situation Awareness in Flight Operations. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 85(7)
- Rashid HSJ, Place CS & Braithwaite GR. (2014). Eradicating root causes of aviation maintenance errors: introducing the AMMP. Cognition, Technology & Work, 16(1)
- Vuorio A, Rantonen J, Johnson C, Ollila T, Salminen S, .... (2014). What fatal occupational accident investigators can learn from fatal aircraft accident investigations. Safety Science, 62
- Rashid HSJ, Place CS & Braithwaite GR. (2013). Investigating the investigations: a retrospective study in the aviation maintenance error causation. Cognition, Technology & Work, 15(2)
- Braithwaite GR. (2010). Twenty-First Century Reliability Accident investigation and the search for systemic failures. Safety and Reliability, 30(3)
- Rashid HSJ, Place CS & Braithwaite GR. (2010). Helicopter maintenance error analysis: Beyond the third order of the HFACS-ME. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 40(6)
- Mitchell SJ & Braithwaite GR. (2008). Perceptions of safety and offshore helicopter travel. International Journal of Energy Sector Management, 2(4)
- Braithwaite GR. (2001). Aviation rescue and firefighting in Australia — is it protecting the customer?. Journal of Air Transport Management, 7(2)
- Braithwaite GR, Caves RE & Faulkner JPE. (1998). Australian aviation safety — observations from the ‘lucky’ country. Journal of Air Transport Management, 4(1)
- Braithwaite GR & Caves RE. (1997). Airline safety — some lessons from Australia. The Aeronautical Journal, 101(1001)
Conference Papers
- Manikath E, Li W-C, Braithwaite GR & Piotrowski P. (2024). A Small Icon and Its Effect on User Perception - How the Design of the Passenger Call Button Shapes Passengers Communication with Cabin Crew
- Karyotakis M & Braithwaite G. (2023). Human Factors and Human Performance in UAS Operations. The Case of UAS Pilots in UAM Operations
- Ryan R, Al-Rubaye S & Braithwaite G. (2022). UTM Regulatory Concerns with Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
- Karyotakis MK, Panagiotakopoulos D, Braithwaite G & Tsourdos A. (2021). Aspects and Challenges of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Safety Assurance and Certification for Advanced Operations.
- Li W-C, Zhang J, Kearney P & Braithwaite G. (2021). Psychophysical Coherence Training Regulating Air Traffic Controller’s Heart Rate Variability and Resilience to Fatigue
- Ryan R, Al-Rubaye S, Braithwaite G & Panagiotakopoulos D. (2020). The Legal Framework of UTM for UAS
- Li W-C, Yan Z, Zhang J, Braithwaite G, Court S, .... (2020). Evaluating Pilot’s Perceived Workload on Interacting with Augmented Reality Device in Flight Operations
- Horn A, Li W-C & Braithwaite G. (2018). Human-Centered Design of Flight Mode Annunciation for Instantaneous Mode Awareness
- Li WC, Lin J, Braithwaite G & Greaves M. (2016). The development of eye tracking in aviation (ETA) technique to investigate pilots' cognitive processes of attention and decision making
- Li W-C, Braithwaite G, Greaves M, Hsu C-K & Lin S-C. (2016). The evaluation of military pilot's attention distributions on the flight deck
- Li WC, Yu CS, Braithwaite G & Greaves M. (2015). The analysis of pilots fixation distribution for performing air-to-air and air-to-surface tasks
- Li W-C, Yu C-S, Greaves M & Braithwaite G. (2015). How Cockpit Design Impacts Pilots’ Attention Distribution and Perceived Workload during Aiming a Stationary Target
- Li W-C, Yu C-S, Braithwaite G & Greaves M. (2015). Interface Design and Pilot Attention Distribution Whilst Pursuing a Dynamic Target
- Li W-C, Braithwaite G & Yu C-S. (2014). The Investigation of Pilots’ Eye Scan Patterns on the Flight Deck during an Air-to-Surface Task
- Braithwaite G. (2012). Accident Investigation – are we reaching the Systemic Causes of Accidents?
- Langer M & Braithwaite G. (2012). The development of the maintenance operations safety survey: challenges in transferring a predictive safety tool from flight operations to aircraft maintenance
- Boston N & Braithwaite GR. (2010). Hazards at Aircraft Accident Sites: Training Investigators in Line with the ICAO Circular 315 Guidelines
- Greaves MJ & Braithwaite GR. (2010). The Use of Commercial Satellite Imagery in Aircraft Accident Investigation: Results from Recent Trials
- Rashid H, Braithwaite G & Place C. (2009). A proposal for aviation maintenance safety monitoring process
- Mitchell SJ & Braithwaite GR. (2009). Using the Best Cost Analysis for Effective Safety Recommendations
- Li W-C, Zhang J, Kearney P & Braithwaite G. Exploring Air Traffic Controllers Rosters for Fatigue Risk Management
- Braithwaite GR. Working with the news media: practical tips for investigators
Books
- Karyotakis M & Braithwaite G. (2023). Human Factors and Human Performance in UAS Operations. The Case of UAS Pilots in UAM Operations In Lecture Notes in Computer Science (14018). Springer Nature Switzerland.
- Li W-C, Kearney P & Braithwaite G. (2022). The Certification Processes of Multiple Remote Tower Operations for Single European Sky In Norbert Fürstena (ed.), Research Topics in Aerospace. Springer International Publishing.
- Kearney P, Li W-C & Braithwaite G. (2019). Roster and Air Traffic Controller’s Situation Awareness In Lecture Notes in Computer Science (11571 LNAI). Springer International Publishing.
- Kearney P, Li W-C & Braithwaite G. (2018). Human Performance Assessment of Multiple Remote Tower Operations Simultaneous Take-Off and Landing at Two Airports In Lecture Notes in Computer Science (10906 LNAI). Springer International Publishing.
- Braithwaite G. (2017). The Use of High‐Fidelity Simulations in Emergency Management Training In Williams A, Cassella JP & Maskell PD (eds), Forensic Science Education and Training. Wiley.
- Li W-C, Cao J, Lin J-H, Braithwaite G & Greaves M. (2017). The Evaluation of Pilot’s First Fixation and Response Time to Different Design of Alerting Messages In Lecture Notes in Computer Science (10275 LNAI). Springer International Publishing.
- Kearney P, Li W-C, Braithwaite G & Greaves M. (2017). The Investigation Human-Computer Interaction on Multiple Remote Tower Operations In Lecture Notes in Computer Science (10275 LNAI). Springer International Publishing.
- Li W-C, White J, Braithwaite G, Greaves M & Lin J-H. (2016). The Evaluation of Pilot’s Situational Awareness During Mode Changes on Flight Mode Annunciators In Don Harris (ed.), Lecture Notes in Computer Science (9736). Springer International Publishing.
- Ho H-F, Su H-S, Li W-C, Yu C-S & Braithwaite G. (2016). Pilots’ Latency of First Fixation and Dwell Among Regions of Interest on the Flight Deck In Don Harris (ed.), Lecture Notes in Computer Science (9736). Springer International Publishing.
- Braithwaite G. (2012). Safety management systems in aviation In O'Connell JF & Williams G (eds), Air Transport in the 21st Century: Key Strategic Developments (1st). Ashgate.
- Braithwaite G. (2011). Safety management systems in aviation In Air Transport in the 21st Century: Key Strategic Developments.
- Braithwaite GR. (2001). Attitude or Latitude?
