ABSTRACT
International experts in the industry recognize that aviation maintenance is a "sociotechnical system" (McDonald, 1994a,b; Pidgeon & O'Leary, 1995; Drury, 1998). This recognition acknowledges that safe and successful maintenance and repairs are not achieved by technology alone, but require maintenance people guiding and working with technology. As aircraft and aviation become more complex and sophisticated, the sociotechnical bond becomes even more important. The technology and the people are each necessary for successful maintenance, but neither alone is sufficient. To work best they must be seen together and they must be designed together.
