Need for Psychological Screening of Pilots

The recent disaster that struck Germanwings, when the First Officer finding himself alone in the cockpit, is believed to have deliberately flown the passenger laden airliner into the Swiss Alps killing all, brought into focus some of the serious issues that confront present-day civil aviation the world over and even in India. In the past few years, there have been a number of fatal accidents snuffing out hundreds of innocent lives. Many of these accidents that were attributed to the psychological disposition of the crew could have been avoided if the planners, regulators and management possessed a better understanding of the dynamics of the man-machine interface.

The modern commercial aircraft comprises a large percentage of the fleet of passenger airlines which operate around the world. These machines have extremely high levels of automation and cater to a variety of situations where the pilots are essentially only monitoring whether or not the auto-pilot is following the programmed instructions. Excellent weather monitoring sensors and avoidance options ensure that areas of rough or dangerous weather are avoided and the aircraft is not only kept safe but also provides adequate passenger comfort by way of a smooth ride. There are anti-collision and terrain warning devices that ensure high levels of situational awareness for the pilots and provide conflict resolution advice. Added to all this is multiple redundancy in every critical area to ensure that failures in the machine do not lead to catastrophe. Overseeing all this is a set of highly trained aircrew in the cockpits and air traffic controllers on the ground. Such is the present environment in which passenger aircraft operate.

The regulator must play a greater role in ensuring that the stress levels for aircrew and air traffic controllers are reduced

When one compares the rate of fatalities in air travel with those in other modes of transportation, the statistical data is overwhelmingly in favour of air travel. Where then lies the problem? The issue essentially revolves around accident prevention by not eroding the redundancy and by identifying and avoiding dangerous situations.

In the context of preventing accidents, the human element stands out as the foremost. Therefore, one would need to scrutinise the involvement of all human elements and that includes designers, manufacturers, engineers, air traffic controllers and aircrew. Accident statistics have shown that human error by aircrew is the biggest cause factor in accidents. The focus then shifts to aircrew and airtraffic controllers as both these professionals need greater scrutiny as they play a vital role in the entire chain of events upon which hinges the safety of an airplane. Within this group, one is inclined to zoom on to the pilots as they are “in the spotlight.” However, a number of observations would be common to the air traffic controllers too.

One crucial area which has so far been absolutely neglected is the psychological examination and training that all aircrew need to undergo. How then does an airline ensure that members of the aircrew do not let a psychological dysfunction threaten the safety of passengers?

It has now become essential that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) adopt appropriate measures and issue instructions to make Psychological Screening a mandatory part of the initial and subsequent medical examination for all members of the aircrew and air traffic controllers. The two areas that the Psychological Screening needs to cover are as under:

• Psychological Testing. This will bring out complex psychological processes like paranoia as well as suicidal, sado-masochistic and sociopathic tendencies. This should be done in the initial Class-1 medical and subsequently every two years. Since this is done in the initial medical, it will ensure that the industry has psychologically screened its most vital human resources and weeded out potential weak links.
• Emotional Intelligence Test. A pilot in the cockpit today passes through long periods of inactivity and may, at times, from this state of supreme comfort, suddenly find himself in a high stress situation that calls for calm, cool and calibrated response. All pilots must therefore have adequate levels of Emotional Quotient (EQ). While tests will help identify weak individuals, organisations can work on pilots to enable them to improve their EQ. Annual EQ testing should be mandatorily included as a part of the Class-1 medical for all members of the aircrew.

The role played by the regulator is crucial

At the outset, the regulator must recognise the impact its inaction can have on the fate of passengers. It is indeed imperative, therefore, that Psychological Screening as suggested above, be put in place by the regulator without delay. In a broader sense, the regulator must also play a much greater role in ensuring that the stress levels for aircrew and air traffic controllers are reduced. Apart from the financial viability and sustainability of airlines, it is imperative that the regulator lay greater emphasis on these aspects prior to issue of the operator’s licence.

The author is a commercial pilot and consultant in civil aviation