Professional Pilot, January 2019

SOPs are akin to an actor reading lines in a play If the dialogue changes or goes off script the director immediately notices and can shout Cut When deviating from SOPs the others involved in the operation are unable to predict the next move The unpredictability factor decreases CSA If SOPs arent working its better to change the SOP they should be periodically reviewed anyway than feign an effort to comply but fail to complete it as written Ignoring an SOP and subsequently ignoring the practice of ignoring it sets a dangerous precedent and even has a name normalization of deviance According to sociologist Diane Vaughan author of The Challenger Launch Decision social normalization of deviance means that people within the organization become so much accustomed to a deviation that they dont consider it as deviant despite the fact that they far exceed their own rules for the elementary safety Or in common terms the wrong SOP or lack thereof slowly evolves into the way of doings things just because it goes unchallenged for so long Thats just how we do it is not a strategy when it comes it safety Watch out for complacency Complacency is a broad term used to describe a state of inattentiveness based on an intrinsic feeling that 68 PROFESSIONAL PILOT January 2019 the current situation is acceptable and will continue to stay that way hence no intervention is required Complacency is a passive state whereas monitoring is an active condition Complacency and monitoring are diametrically opposed behaviors Lack of attentiveness has always been an issue in aviation but the prevalence of portable electronic devices PEDs and constant WiFi connectivity have added complexity to the issue To be honest the iPad has replaced the USA Today as the distraction of choice while cruising the flight levels Although theres no accident history that identifies a trend of PED use causing accidents self disclosures to the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System ASRS reveal that distraction which promotes a loss of SA is a leading cause of pilot deviations and flight errors Both NTSB and FAA have their own stance on the use of PEDs on the flightdeck as do the airlines Corporate and private operators will ultimately have to decide how to enforce PED policies while at the same time acknowledging the operational benefits At the very least sterile cockpit rules should be enforced and non essential PED use avoided below 10000 ft Use of CPDLC Under the topic of how automation management impacts CSA one area of concern for 2019 is CPDLC Flight departments that engage in frequent international operations in CPDLC ADS C equipped aircraft have likely been exposed to some of the pitfalls In late 2018 the Indianapolis Air Traffic Control Center began around theclock use of CPDLC in their airspace Other US domestic airspace air traffic control facilities will soon deploy the technology One of the enormous benefits of CPDLC is the ability to receive revised clearances and upload or push those changes into the active flight plan When doing so caution is warranted as theres been an uptick in reports that pilots have acknowledged clearances only to discover later that the clearance differs from the one auto loaded in the flight management system There have also been reports that when receiving route changes through the ground based clearance delivery CPDLC function the new instrument departure procedure does not load or does not load properly even though the route does Avionics vary but a good rule of thumb is that any change to a CPDLC clearance will not include the departure or arrival procedure so a good practice is to look for it and reinsert whats needed Have a willingness to change This January will be like any other by Blue Monday most people will have given up on their new years resolutions and will revert to their old ways Experts say the most common reason for quitting is overly ambitious expectations and goals Small measurable changes continued over time have a greater chance of working The willingness to change and the discipline to stick with the change will increase the chances of success Focusing on achieving a high CSA will improve the safety culture and have a lasting impact Shannon Forrest is a current line pilot CRM facilitator and aviation safety consultant He has over 10000 hours and holds a degree in behavioral psychology Universal Avionics CPDLC screen with message telling pilot to Climb to and maintain FL350 Requests can be answered with standard responses rather than with pilot generated text further optimizing collective SA