What is the purpose of the DoD HFACS flip-book?

• A. A field manual for flight operations.
• B. A portable reference describing the HFACS taxonomy from broad category to nano-codes to aid in determining root causes and reporting during investigations.
• C. An equipment maintenance guide.
• D. A medical triage handbook.

Answer: (B)

HFACS provides a structured way to categorize human factors in incidents, from broad categories down to very specific subcodes. The DoD HFACS flip-book is a compact, portable reference that lays out this taxonomy in a usable format, guiding investigators as they identify contributing factors and assign codes during investigations. This supports consistent data recording, makes root-cause analysis clearer, and enables trend analysis and reporting across cases. It’s not a field manual for flight operations, nor an equipment maintenance guide, nor a medical triage handbook.