The NTSB Most Wanted

Among various accident investigation agencies, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is certainly leading the world. As they conduct their investigations, they compile data to formulate trends and make recommendations to increase the safety of various transportation and commercial industries. For 2016, the NTSB has included five most wanted items for aviation. They include, from most to least wanted, cockpit image recorders, prevent loss of control in flight, fatigue related accidents, reducing distractions, and medical fitness.

As a flight instructor, I think this ranking could be rearranged to reflect current industry concerns more realistically. I believe the ranking should begin with preventing loss of control in flight, reducing distractions, fatigue related accidents, medical fitness, and lastly, cockpit image recorders. Preventing loss of control in flight is essentially a result of poor regulation on the behalf of the Federal Aviation Administration. Today, a private pilot can go for nearly two years without flying and legally step on-board an aircraft and fly. Although in order to carry passengers, they need to accomplish just three takeoffs and landings within the preceding 90 days. Nonetheless, these regulations are not strict enough, which allows inexperienced, non-current pilots to go flying. I believe this is the root of the issue. Recreational pilots are not exercising their skills enough, they are not flying with instructors enough, and they are getting themselves killed. The NTSB adds that nearly half of general aviation accidents result from loss of control, resulting in 173 fatalities each year (Sclair, 2016). It is clear that this is the greatest problem facing aviation safety, as it is responsible for many fatalities each year and, in my opinion, is a result of lenient FAA regulations.

Reducing distractions should be ranked second because it impacts virtually all pilots, commercial or not. For example, in 2009 a Northwest Air Lines crew overflew their destination by 150 miles because they claimed to be distracted by their laptop computers (Ahlers, 2009). Not to mention that today, many air crews are using tablet technology to increase situational awareness and improve safety (Sclair, 2016). As portable electronic device technology improves, devices are becoming easier to use in the cockpit and consequently, distracting untrained crews. Given the wide availability of this technology, it should certainly be addressed with better training and perhaps new FAA regulation.

Fatigue related accidents should be third on the list, as recent reform has allowed pilots greater time to acquire sleep, however fatigue remains a contributing factor in many aviation accidents. It really comes down to the nature of flying; strange hours, mental workload, and sleeping away from home. More research into fatigue studies and the impact of fatigue on the human body may promote better pilot rest regulations and rules.

Medical fitness should be placed fourth in the list, as pilots are already screened frequently for their jobs. Although these medical exams may not be sufficient to send an individual to space, they are able to determine if pilots are fit to fly. Although this recommendation likely formed in the aftermath of the recent German Wings pilot suicide, some mental illnesses and diseases are so difficult to detect and rare that such an accident would be nearly impossible to prevent. Yes, pilots need to meet a medical standard to ensure safety. However, greater testing and a battery of mental health screening will not prove fruitful.

Cockpit image recorders should be last on the ranking because they will have little, if any, positive safety impact. Seeing the accident will only prove what investigators can hear and derive from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR). Not to mention it is a reactionary measure. The purpose of such image recorders is to record an accident that already happened. Not to mention the images will need to be retrieved from the wreckage, just as the FDR and other data collection units are. The NTSB should also consider the impact of installing such devices on pilots, who are already under a litany of external pressure.

Cockpit image recorders should not have been on the list at all. Again, this is a reactionary measure to see what happened with a given accident instead of actually preventing it. Furthermore, being taped while working is not something most pilots will simply submit to. They are already being watched by passengers, the FAA, their respective company, and the general public. To be taped would essentially be an invasion of privacy, making pilots very uncomfortable. Furthermore, the technology could be disastrous if it was leaked to the public. The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) of Delta flight 1141, which crashed en-route to Dallas, is still circulating the internet (Mathieu, 2010). Sounds of the crash and screams of the passengers can be heard on the tape. Releasing these videos to the flying public would certainly prove unsettling and potentially disastrous for the airlines. Mathieu (2010) notes that pilots do not want more scrutiny, and they do not have faith in the privacy and security of these devices.

One item the list should include is automation addiction. This is especially important with Part 121 and Part 135 operators, however it is also important for general aviation. The greatest danger to commercial air travel today, in my opinion, is the interaction of the pilots and the automation they are using. This was evident with the Asiana Boeing 777 which crashed in San Francisco because the pilots did not know how to properly use their automation. I feel that all pilots should receive more automation training, and be required to hand fly the aircraft more so that when automation begins to fail, they are comfortable taking over and flying manually. Although the United States is handling this issue better than other countries, I feel that if action is not taken on the behalf of the FAA, airlines, and aircraft manufacturers, automation related accidents will continue.

Of the items listed, I feel that the FAA will respond most to reducing distractions, medical fitness, and preventing the loss of control in flight. The reason for this is that these issues are directly related to improving safety, and can be addressed with research and regulatory reform. These items have been directly involved in several accidents around the world, and may provide a measurable safety improvement. Fatigue related accidents may not be addressed since the FAA has recently conducted research and created new pilot rest regulations, however the issue remains important. The FAA will probably not react to cockpit image recorders, as it is a rearward looking measure that does not progressively approach safety. The FAA also feels the pressure from the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) as well as other pilot unions and representatives to prevent such technology from entering the cockpit.

References

Ahlers, M. (2009, October 22). Airliner crew flies 150 miles past airport. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/10/22/airliner.fly.by/index.html?iref=24hours

Mathieu, S. (2010, September 28). Video in the cockpit: Privacy vs safety. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39383365/ns/travel/t/video-cockpit-privacy-vs-safety/#.Vwq9IfkrKUk

Sclair, B. (2016, January 18). Aviation fares better on NTSB's most wated list. Retrieved from http://generalaviationnews.com/2016/01/18/aviation-fares-better-on-ntsbs-most-wanted-list/