Disasters and Mishaps: The Merits of Taking a Global View

Abstract

On 24 March, 2015, Andreas Lubitz, the First Officer of Germanwings Flight 4U9525, committed suicide by aircraft. Following the disaster there was a ‘rush to blame’, with Lubitz painted as the sole villain. Few reviewed the wider circumstances. While accepting the primacy of Lubitz’s actions in the destruction of Germanwings Flight 4U9525, this chapter scans the horizon for contributory factors. In doing so it demonstrates the contribution systems-thinking can make to understanding failure in complex, transnational socio-technical systems (such as commercial aviation). The chapter offers a counterweight to the fundamental attribution error. It proffers an antidote to blamism. It references the work of Ross, Reason, Turner and Fiske and Taylor. While blame and punishment satisfy our baser instincts (the urge to hurt those who have hurt us is hard to resist), they generally undermine safety. The chapter argues that, from a safety standpoint, blamism is an inappropriate response to mishap and disaster.