GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Note: Long before the Air Force Safety Center stood up at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., on Jan. 1, 1996, Airmen were sharing their lessons learned in a variety of safety publications such as Aerospace Safety, Aerospace Maintenance Safety, Air Force Driver, among others. During a year-long commemoration of the safety center's 20th anniversary, the Public Affairs Office will highlight previously-published articles and reprise historic Rex Riley cartoons to emphasize that long-standing safety practices and lessons learned remain relevant to the mishap prevention program of today's Air Force.
Flight safety experts and investigators spend countless hours researching trends in mishaps. Communication is one of the most common factors present in aviation accidents. Pilots are taught from the beginning to aviate, navigate, and communicate; few understand that there is more to it than simply prioritization. Like any public speaker, a crew member must understand the audience to know who needs what information and in what time frame. The concept can be thought of as finding a way to speak smarter and not harder. Efficient and open communication in all realms of flight can prevent mishaps and save lives.
A chain of events along a timeline is created when studying and investigating mishaps. The concept behind developing this chain is to understand what links in that chain are crucial. Removing any link from that chain would break the chain, therefore preventing the mishap at the end of the chain. Learning how to eliminate those steps is a preventative tool for the future. Communication on some level is nearly always part of this chain.
Verbal interaction is found in every aspect of flight, from the day prior to a flight during the scheduling process to the maintenance debrief after the flight. Mission briefing is the most dedicated time given to communication for the crew, whether the crew is a pair of pilots in formation, or a mix of pilots, engineers, loadmasters, etc. Interaction between the flight crew and their ground support is an overlooked chance to acquire essential information. The crew chiefs who prepare the aircraft for flight and who launch the mission can provide valuable information on the status of the aircraft. Clear communication between all crew positions and air traffic control while operating is key, whether you are a four ship of F-16s or a formation of C-130s. When back on the ground again, talking with maintenance personnel to fully debrief the status of the aircraft can prevent future problems and identify trends that might not be noticed with-out solid debriefs. In any day of flying, communication starts before a call sign is even established and ends well after touchdown.
How should pilots make best use of their chances to communicate? Does your crew or formation truly know the plan for the flight, and are they prepared for possible problems? How experienced is your crew chief? Has he/she been on shift for 2 or 12 hours?
Specific examples are eye-opening and cause us to stop to realize how important clear lines of communication are. In one fatal Class A mishap, the wingman in formation was working to answer a question asked by his lead pilot, when he didn’t see his lead turn. Had the wingman understood the question was not urgent, proper prioritization could have saved his life. In the case of the world’s most deadly aviation accident, in Tenerife, there was a collision of a taxiing aircraft and another taking off. Clear and firm communication between the two aircraft and between the pilots of the Polish airliner would have prevented the deadliest airplane crash in history. The co-pilot failed to voice his doubt of an air traffic control clearance, resulting in the pilot taking off on a runway he wasn’t cleared to take off on. In another incident, an aircraft and lives were lost when a fuel imbalance developed to such severity that full flight control inputs were needed to maintain flight. The student on the controls didn’t communicate the problem to the instructor pilot; the condition increased to a point that the student was unable to maintain control. The instructor took the controls to correct what he thought was the problem. Since the student had not correctly described what he was fighting on the controls, the instructor made inputs on the controls that forced the aircraft to depart controlled flight.
Personality conflicts are known to be a problem in the cockpit, but accepting these differences and overcoming the conflict by communication can make the difference between surviving a flight and crashing an airplane.
How can you prevent mishaps with your communication? Understand what you are saying and how others perceive it. When arriving at your aircraft and signing it over from your crew chief, exchange meaningful information as well as friendly interaction. Earning your maintainer’s respect will yield a far better working relationship as you launch that aircraft. A simple question to inquire how things are going might tell you the reason he’s yawning: because it’s been a long day, or because he’s just starting his day? What issues have they been working on the aircraft (other than what you might see in the forms)?
Take your thoughtful communication a step further. Be conscientious of your directions and interactions with your crew. Encourage open communication and during your mission briefing, emphasize good Crew Resource Management (CRM). CRM is all about communication and how you work with your team or crew. If you fly on a multi-place airplane, stop to think and ask who has flown with whom on that crew. Are you familiar with each other’s habits in the cockpit or is this the first time working together? Be cautious of a friendly crew and know how to manage that. If there is too much chatter during mission planning, pre-flight, or flying, think about how you will squelch the friendly talk without ruining any good working relationships. Your words can make or break the atmosphere, so be gentle, but firm. When delegating tasks out to your co-workers or crew, explain the priorities of the tasks you have given them. Do they need to tackle this before their other issues at hand, or can it wait?
If you are not in charge, your communication to your pilot, loadmaster, boom operator, or engineer is just as crucial. Take survey of your situation before asking questions. Is this a good time for instruction? Perhaps writing down your question for later will actually allow for better communication on the crew. Never bite your tongue for a safety of flight issue. If any condition in the cockpit is non-standard or uncomfortable, good CRM demands that you voice your concerns, but in doing so, apply the principles discussed here. Be open, clear, and concise. Speak smarter, not harder.
Simplicity and clarity in communications can save precious time when it is most critical. Ensuring that everyone in an operation is on the same sheet of music can prevent confusion and potential conflicts that lead to detrimental endings. Remembering to always aviate first, navigate second, but to always communicate clearly and openly will take links out of the proverbial chain of events that can lead up to a very serious mishap. (Reprinted from Flight Safety Magazine, October 2007)