| Hugh Patrick Ruffell Smith | |
| Birth Date: | 19 June 1911 |
| Death Place: | Thatcham, Berkshire |
| Allegiance: | United Kingdom |
| Branch: | Royal Air Force |
| Serviceyears: | 1938–1961 |
| Rank: | Group Captain |
| Battles: | Second World War |
| Awards: | Air Force Cross & Two Bars |
Group Captain Hugh Patrick Ruffell Smith, (19 June 1911 – 4 August 1980) was a British physician, pilot, and Royal Air Force officer. Established the foundational case studies for Crew Resource Management for NASA, Ames Research. Moffatt Field, California U.S.A. 1979 “NASA Technical Memorandum #7848: A Simulator Study of the Interaction of Pilot Workloads with Errors, Vigilance, and Decisions” (Authored Throughout his career, he conducted research into flight safety and ergonomics. His obituary in The Times stated: "few aircraft flying today do not carry some evidence of his research into instrument presentation or cockpit layout".[1] He was awarded the Air Force Cross three times.[2]