Communication on the Flight Deck: What Lessons Can We Learn from Past Accidents?

Abstract

This paper investigates the relevance of past accidents to current airline operations. Focusing on four accidents cited by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the study used a mixed methods approach with a sequential explanatory design. In the first phase, an online survey gathered data about airline pilots’ awareness of, and attitudes towards the accidents. In the second phase, semi-structured interviews were held with a key informant (KI). The survey respondents overwhelmingly believe studying past accidents is important for improving safety. Surprisingly, TV documentaries were found to be the most common source of information about accidents. The interviews provided insight into the process by which the KI integrates knowledge of accidents into his professional practice as an airline captain. An adaptation of the ‘Swiss cheese model’ is proposed to explain how an experienced pilot incorporates salient features of past accidents into everyday flight operations.