My
Cents Worth
CRM TIPS FOR THE SINGLE PILOT
LAST YEAR, HAI PRESIDENT MATT ZUCCARO PUSHED HIS SAFETY MESSAGE, “LAND THE DAMN HELICOPTER,” REMINDING US THAT AS A LAST RESORT WHEN WE’VE RUN OUT OF OPTIONS, WE HAVE THE POWER TO BREAK A POTENTIAL LINK IN AN ERROR CHAIN BY SIMPLY LANDING. Research into why helicopters crash
isn’t statistically different than other segments of aviation. It is pretty much agreed worldwide that 80 percent of all aviation accidents have an element of human error. Crew resource management (CRM) training can save the day before we need to resort to landing “the damn helicopter.” CRM, if practiced religiously, will keep your good hands from taking you somewhere your mind hasn’t been. CRM isn’t only for airline crews. CRM training makes you aware of what can hurt you—the human factors that can cause you to make a mistake or a bad decision. Because CRM has proven over the years to be a powerful tool to help pilots avoid, trap, and mitigate risk, it stands to reason CRM is a tool as useful for the single pilot as it is for multi-crew.
Situational Awareness Situational awareness (SA) is
misperceiving what is going on around you and carrying that perception forward to what you expect to happen in the future. According to NASA research, SA is cited in 85 percent of aircraft accident and incident reports. Pilots learn early in their training that
swift reactions are essential, but getting ahead of the aircraft is much better.
8 February 2015
Staying ahead of the aircraft is best. Situational awareness can help you stay ahead. Wouldn’t it be beneficial if pilots knew the common factors contributing to the loss of SA? NASA has done the work for us in their research of the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) database.
The common factors leading to loss of situational awareness are:
1. High workload 2. Distractions 3. Lack of communication 4. Execution of an improper procedure 5. Lack of experience 6. Weather 7. Fatigue
Cues which may indicate loss of situational awareness are:
1. Ambiguity - information from two or more sources that don’t agree
2. Fixation - focusing on any one thing to the exclusion of everything else
3. Confusion - uncertainty or bafflement about a situation
4. 5.
6. 7.
Failure to fly the aircraft - being focused on non-flying activities
Failure to look outside - everyone with heads down
Failure to adhere to SOPs
Failure to comply with limitations, minimums, etc.
8. 9. Failure to
contradictory conflicts
resolve data
discrepancies, or
personal
Failure to communicate fully and effectively - vague or incomplete statements
Research has concluded there is a minimum of four links to an error chain, with the average number being seven. If you are a single pilot who has had CRM training and you remain aware, stay vigilant, are always on the lookout for factors which can cause you to lose SA, and recognize early on any of the nine cues that you may be losing SA, you can immediately address them and thus break a link in an error chain forming.
What helps enhance Situational Awareness?
1. Your past experiences or what you have read
2. Expectations - The more you are prepared, the greater the chance of handling the situation.
3. Self-Briefing - This prepares and focuses your mind by preparing and reviewing what is expected in the future.
4. Communication-Pr operly communicating between team members and ATC plays a large part in effective situation awareness.
5. Vigilance - Active monitoring of
instruments, air traffic, deteriorating weather, and possible wires and obstructions
By Randy Mains
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