SPINAL-CORD Model: Integrating Human and System Factors in Modern Aviation Safety

Classical human factors models transformed aviation safety by shifting attention from individual blame to systemic understanding. Yet the operational landscape of modern aviation has evolved considerably: automation is pervasive, cognitive demands are higher, and understanding of neurocognition and behavioral variability is richer than when foundational frameworks were built. This paper introduces the SPINAL-CORD model, an original safety integration heuristic designed to complement, not replace, established frameworks. The model comprises two interacting components: SPINAL (Skills, Personal Factors, Intelligence, Neurocognition, Adaptability and Resilience, Learning), representing the human behavioral and cognitive core, and CORD (Computing, Organization, Rules, Data), representing the structured operational environment. Together they conceptualise safety as continuously co-produced at the human-system interface, rather than residing in either the operator or the system alone. The paper describes the model's theoretical foundations in cognitive science, resilience engineering, and systems thinking; its relationship to other models; and its practical applications in training, debriefing, and incident analysis. Limitations and directions for future empirical validation are discussed. The model offers practitioners a visual and conceptual anchor for conversations about performance, strain, and adaptive capacity in complex aviation environments.