Training - Human Factors Vital

Past accidents prove that technical competence is a very important requirement but not the only one for safe operations. Interpersonal and cognitive functions also have to be integrated into flight operations to enhance air safety. Read the second part of this article to know how and why CRM training is important for all crew members, especially so for the commander because it is he who, by law, is ultimately responsible for safe flight.

For good decision-making, two heads are always better than one provided there is time for consultation. If not, the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) would then need to take a decision based on his training and experience. However, when time is available, it is best to solicit opinions on the problem; discuss options and also the pros and cons of each before taking a decision. Different opinions, however, could lead to a conflict situation. The only way to resolve this would be by focusing on ‘what’ is right and not ‘who’ is right, under the given set of circumstances. After the decision has been made and responsibilities assigned for implementation, the decision should be reviewed. Thus decision-making is a process consisting of “diagnosis-options-decision-assign-review”. Sounds simple but how does one ensure inputs from all sources? This will be possible only when the crew feel empowered.

Team Formation

It is the responsibility of the PIC to empower the crew by facilitating the formation of a team at the earliest. This seems difficult but is actually not so. Presumably, all members of the crew are trained, licensed and proficient to do their job well. However, the individually proficient do not always make competent teams. It is the responsibility of the Commander to turn proficient crew members into a cohesive team. While the team may be technically proficient, it is the human aspects that need greater attention by the PIC before, during and after the flight to ensure optimum performance from every crew member. A study of past accidents/incidents reveals deficiencies in this area.

Just thinking of the co-pilot as a ‘Second in Command’ and the cabin crew as additional ‘eyes, ears and brains’ that are available to the PIC, would help him find better ways of making optimum use of all the available human resources onboard. In addition, there are other human resources available. The PIC needs to internalise the fact that each one of his crew in the aircraft, besides others who are outside the aircraft, is capable of making a vital contribution to the safe accomplishment of the mission, while performing different roles. Contribution of the crew towards the achievement of the common goal should be emphasised, valued and acknowledged during assembly of the crew at the reporting point itself through appropriate behaviour, verbal communication, tone and body language so as to create an effective leader-team relationship.

Authority Relationship

Research has shown that high performance Captains use three methods to build an effective leader-team authority relationship. They establish their credibility and assume legitimate and legal authority by establishing competence through a well-conducted pre-flight briefing. A largely interactive briefing, wherein the crew are free to suggest/comment is desirable as it sets the tone for ‘open’ communications during the flight, a crucial requirement for safe flying. Even though the flight may be following the same route every time, no two flights can ever be the same. Having carried out a briefing, Commanders balance the leader-crew relationship by having the crew members take responsibility for the work of the group as well. This is an important element to empower the crew. One Captain is known to have made this statement before an extremely effective crew performance in the simulator, “I just want you guys to understand that they assign seats in this airplane based on seniority, not on the basis of competence. So anything you can see or do which will help out, I would appreciate hearing about it.” Lastly, successful Captains interact with humans who, unlike robots, are emotional beings and who would be performing in different roles on the flight. Crew are encouraged to converse and are made to feel comfortable, particularly when conversation is related to the task at hand. Questions and comments are encouraged by all crew members on any aspect of the briefing or mission.

In doing so, Captains set an authority relationship pattern ranging from the authoritative to consultative; participative to democratic. This is what balances the need of a single authority which is legally responsible, with the contribution of all crew members, to achieve a safe flight. It is important for the PIC to understand the role of verbal and non-verbal communication in the accomplishment of the task. Clear communication among the crew before, during and after the flight is crucial for effective teamwork.

Empowerment by the Regulator and Management

The regulator and the management empower the crew by laying down rules, operations manual, minimum equipment list (MEL), standard operating procedures (SOPs) and checklists that are required to be followed. All these are based on the accumulated wisdom of professionals and are designed with prudence in the belief that if these are followed, the future of aviation would be safer. The PIC can empower the crew further by providing them the right leadership, and more importantly, by following SOPs and checklists. As has already been brought out, the leadership style utilised by the PIC would vary from autocratic (in time critical situations) to consultative, to participative and democratic. However, this does not absolve the PIC of any of his legally binding responsibilities. The law gives the PIC the authority, but he would be doing himself a favour by earning the respect of his team members through his behaviour. A PIC who respects others will earn respect in return.

The Commander must lead for example by following all checklists and SOPs so that all crew members are on the same page and know exactly what is being done and what needs to be done at each stage of the flight. This helps the crew to identify deviation from the normal, which could be unintentional. Following the Commander’s lead, other crew members would be less tempted to resort to violations or intentional disregard of SOPs. Sterile cockpit procedures when violated are known to have led to accidents. Sterile cockpit procedures need to be observed so that the ‘single-channel processing’ human brain does not get distracted from the task at hand during crucial phases of flight. The Captain sets the tone for this and is also responsible for ensuring its sanctity by disciplining non-conformist crew members.

Management of Workload

Workload on members of the cockpit crew varies on different flights or at different times during the same flight. Workload management is one of the key responsibilities of the Commander. He must ensure that workload is evenly distributed and that no crew is over or underworked. Both situations lead to a drop in the arousal levels and in turn, affect performance. High workload leads to stress and fatigue with attendant problems, whereas under-load leads to boredom, sleepiness and loss of attention. Low workload situations can be effectively utilised for briefings and critique. This would help workload management as well as keeping arousal levels from dropping. The Commander must ensure that the crew continue to monitor systems for correct functioning. Even when the aircraft is on autopilot, the pilot flying is responsible to ensure that the aircraft is on the desired track and systems are functioning normally. The pilot not flying must monitor changes, even when engaged in non-critical activities such as the flight plan, tuning radios and communications. The standard dictum of flight prioritisation viz. ‘Aviate, navigate and communicate’ should be followed.

Crew Motivation

Irrespective of the workload, a highly motivated individual performs well under all conditions. It is easier to motivate an individual who loves his job as the job content itself is the motivating factor. Motivating pilots is thus relatively simple because most love their jobs. The Commander should try and provide opportunities for the crew to grow. This is motivating for the crew and leads to enhancement in performance. Mentoring a relatively inexperienced crew member pays rich dividends in terms of motivation and has immense job satisfaction for both.

Learning from Accidents

Past accidents prove that technical competence is a very important requirement but not the only one for safe operations. Interpersonal and cognitive functions also have to be integrated into flight operations to enhance air safety. Crew resource management (CRM) is a concept that recognises the critical role of human factors in determining the effectiveness of technically proficient crew in both normal and non-normal situations and provides practical options which can bring about attitudinal/behavioural change so that competent individuals can come together to form an effective team.

(Concluded)