PILOT ERROR

How Lack of Training and Complacency Contribute To Pilot Error

Abstract

In this study we try to explore the concept of Pilot Error in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is how lack of training and complacency contribute to pilot error. The research also analyzes many reasons of Pilot error.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract2

Introduction4

Description and Analysis5

Reasons behind Pilot Error8

Aviation Insurance and Fixed-Based Operators9

Pilot Error and FAA Law10

Pilot Error and Aeronautical Decision-Making10

Conclusion11

References12

How Lack of Training and Complacency Contribute To Pilot Error

Introduction

Approximately 70% of aviation accidents are attributable to human error. The greatest opportunity for further improving aviation safety is found in reducing human errors in the cockpit. The purpose of this quasi-experimental mixed- method research was to evaluate whether there was a difference in pilot attitudes toward reducing human error in the cockpit and to evaluate subjective reactions to training after the implementation of a human-factors training program. Participants included pilots from air taxi and corporate flight departments from three companies located in Ohio and New Jersey. Fifty-eight pilots (the treatment group) completed the Pilot Reliability Certification (PRC) training program, a human-factors training curriculum focused on personal vulnerabilities to human error and countermeasures in support of aviation safety. Seventy pilots (the control group) did not complete the 2-day training course.

A qualitative survey was distributed to explore participant reactions to the PRC training. In addition, participants completed a modified version of the Cockpit Management Attitudes Questionnaire, a quantitative instrument designed to measure attitude change. Within-group, pretest-posttest comparisons and between-groups comparisons were performed. Members of the control group did not show a significant improvement in attitude from pretest to posttest related to crew resource management skills or the PRC objectives (t1691 = -1.40, p .17). However, the treatment group demonstrated a significant improvement in attitudes (t157] -0.80, p < .001). There was also a significant difference in attitudes between the treatment group and controls (111261 = -6.00, p < .05).

Subjective reactions to the training were also positive, with pilots citing the strengthened human-factors knowledge base as the largest benefit. Overall, participants perceived the PRC training to be more detailed and in-depth than was previous human-factors training. Findings showed that pilots who received the PRC training showed a significant improvement in attitudes towards reducing human error in the cockpit. Further research is recommended using additional measures, including behavioral measures, for assessing the knowledge gained. The use of a random sample in future studies may determine whether the PRC training had a causal effect on the outcomes.

Description and Analysis

Aviation insurance agents and fixed-base operation (FBO) owners use recent flight experience as a measure of pilot proficiency in physical airplane skills. These aviation industry stakeholders, following the requirements listed in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs); use the 90-day rule of recent flight experience to assess the likelihood of a pilot error accident. The 90-day rule, put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Title 14 of the CFRs, titled Recent Flight Experience (Sabin, ...