Better training means less pilot error

Better training and improved technology have resulted in a 40per cent drop in the number ofairline incidents involving pilot error.

The encouraging statistic emerged yesterday in a study of 558 airline mishaps between 1983 and 2002 by the US-based John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The findings, published in next month’s edition of Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine, also show that the rate ofaccidents involving pilots’ poor decision-making fell by 71per cent.

“A 40 per cent decline in pilot error-related mishaps is very impressive,” said lead author Susan Baker. “Pilot error has long been considered the most prominent contributor to aviation crashes.”

Airline accidents tend to result from a chain of events rather than a single cause, but pilot error is seen as a contributing factor in about two-thirds of all crashes.

Recent high-profile crashes where pilot error has been blamed as a factor include the March crash of a Garuda Indonesia plane in Yogyakarta, killing five Australians, and September’s crash in the Thai resort town of Phuket involving low-cost carrier One Two Go.

Airlines, safety authorities and professional pilot organisations have worked hard in the past 20years to improve training in critical areas, such as coping with planes in unusual attitudes and better communication on the flight deck.

The US study finds that mishaps due to bad weather — the most common decision-making error — fell 76 per cent, while those involving wind or runway conditions fell 78 per cent.

Mishaps caused by poor crew interaction fell 68 per cent and those during take-off dropped by 70 per cent. The study notes that pilots are most likely to make a mistake during taxiing, take-off, final approach and landing.

While pilots are making fewer errors, the study finds this is offset by increases in mishaps caused by other workers, such as air traffic controllers and ground crew.

The researchers also call for improved safety during times when the aircraft is standing still or being pushed back from the gate, because mishaps at these times doubled from a rate of 2.5 to six per 10 million flights.

“Trends indicate that great progress has been made to improve the decision-making of pilots and co-ordination between the aircraft’s crew members,” Ms Baker said.

“However, the improvements have not led to an overall decline in mishaps.”

Source :The Australian