A study drafted over the course of two years and involving aviation laborers, scholars, industry leaders and the U.S. government has reached a number of conclusions about air safety. The report particularly emphasized the need for better emergency procedures. As the work of flying an airliner has become increasingly automated, pilots and crew need more and better training in how to monitor these systems and react when they fail. The report suggested that major improvements are necessary to ensure the safety of airline personnel and passengers.
The study was released by the Flight Safety Foundation, an independent, international non-profit group whose goal is to provide safety guidance to the aerospace and aviation industries. Among the recommendations in the study were methods to enhance communication and teamwork in the cockpit. The report tied a number of aviation accidents to poor communication and inadequate monitoring of flight control systems. A lapse in monitoring has been blamed for the 2013 crash in San Francisco involving Asiana Airlines. That is one of 84 major aviation accidents in the past 12 years that involved failure to monitor and communicate hazards, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The report was given the title, “A Practical Guide For Improving Flight Path Monitoring.” If adopted, the recommendations would represent a substantial shift in aviation practices, particularly in the roles played by pilots and co-pilots, instructors and executives at aviation companies. Each would see a greater emphasis on ensuring that aircraft speed and position is accounted for regularly and that any deviations are communicated widely before a problem can become an emergency.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, “Major Improvements Needed in Air Safety Emergency Procedures, Report Says,” by Andy Pasztor, 13 November 2014