Aviation Safety Comments

Do you have a Safety Culture

A Safety Culture is something that is striven for but rarely attained…”

The process is more important than the product.”

James Reason, “Managing the Risks of Organizational Accidents.”

Doing the right things, even when no one is watching.

Safety begins at top of organization .The safest organizations have more effectively committed themselves to controlling the risks that may arise from mechanical or organizational failures, environmental conditions and human error.

The organization collects and analyzes “the right kind of data” to keep it informed of the safety health of the organization – collects, analyzes and disseminates information on incidents and near-misses, as well as proactive safety checks.

James Reason.

                                

                               Runway Overrun Accidents 

I remembrance when I was working in South America as an Aviation Accident Investigator, I share and interesting article concerning the concept to understand the perception on Wet Runways and Overrun Incidents and accidents, this issue was published in the CAA official statement web site, people can do a search to the same document I published, are available in the link I attached, is in Spanish language or you can use the Translate Window to any language available on this blog .

Técnicas en la Fase de Aterrizaje

Introducción :

A continuación quiero compartir un tema bastante interesante para toda la comunidad aeronautica para que lo repasemos y lo apliquemos en todos nuestros vuelos para obtener una operación segura.

Las pistas mojadas, contaminadas han estado involucradas en diferentes casos de incidentes y accidentes serios involucrando las salidas de pista .

Entre los principales riesgos de la aviación basados en datos recopilados por OACI , IATA , Boeing y algunas otras , podemos mencionar las excursiones en pista .

Estos eventos han representado entre años anteriores unas estadísticas en las cuales estas salidas de pista son por lo general el numero uno de los accidentes de la aviación comercial en los últimos años .

Las excursiones en pista consiste en diferentes tipos de eventos por ejemplo:

Veer Off : Una excursión en pista en donde la aeronave sale por un lado de la pista

Overrun :  Una excursión en pista en donde la aeronave sale de la pista por el final de la misma .

Aproximaciones desestabilizadas , pistas contaminadas y factores meteorológicos , errores de calculo del performance en el aterrizaje , no seguir el cumplimiento con los Sop´s, son algunos de los casos donde aviones de diferentes compañías aéreas  se han visto involucrados en salidas de pista ocasionando un incidente o accidente grave .

Este es un Boletín bien interesante para que lo repase y lo tenga en cuenta con todas sus tripulaciones y tener claro los términos y las definiciones claras al respecto de este tema interesante  de pistas mojadas o contaminadas .

Definición de la condición de pista 

Pista seca  : La cual no esta mojada ni contaminada incluyendo las de pavimento poroso o rasurado , aunque tengan humedad .

PISTA HUMEDA : Cuando la superficie no esta seca , pero no esta brillante .

PISTA MOJADA : La cual esta cubierta con agua o su equivalente , lo suficiente para aparecer brillante , pero sin charcos significantes .

PISTA CONTAMINADA : La cual tiene mas el 25 % de su superficie cubierta con :

• Mas de 3 mm de agua o su equivalente en nieve o “ Slush “ .
• Nieve Compactada .
• Hielo o Hielo Mojado .

Los Factores y efectos también son muy importantes para el conocimiento de cualquier Piloto , para un aterrizaje seguro .

ACCION DE FRENADA : Esto es muy importante , la presencia de un contaminante fluido o solidó afecta negativamente la acción de frenada por :

• Reducir la fuerza de fricción entre las llantas y la pista , dependiendo de :
1. Labrado y presión de las llantas .
2. Tipo de superficie de la pista .
3. Rendimiento del “ Anti – Skid “ .
• Crear una capa de fluido entre las llantas y la pista .

Que es el Hidroplaneo ?

• Resulta cuando la llanta no puede comprimir mas la capa de fluido debajo de ella , levantándose de la pista .
• Resulta en perdida parcial o total del contacto , reduciendo el coeficiente de fricción .
• Afecta la dirección de nariz y la frenada .
• Siempre ocurre en algún grado en pistas contaminadas con fluidos .

Factores para el grado de Hidroplaneo

• Ausencia de rugosidad o drenaje de la pista .
• Profundidad y tipo de contaminante .
• Presión de inflado de las llantas .
• Velocidad en tierra , y
• Operación del  “Anti – Skid “

Otras Consideraciones del Hidroplaneo

Usualmente se define una velocidad mínima de hidroplaneo para cada tipo de avión y contaminante, puede ocurrir en la sentada de ruedas , impidiendo su rotación – no activación de sistemas . Una sentada de ruedas firme puede prevenir esta situación .

Control Direccional

En una pista contaminada se debe usar el timón de dirección y no la rueda de nariz solo a baja velocidad .

El uso de la dirección de nariz sobre la velocidad de taxeo puede causar  hidroplaneo .

Frenada diferencial : Aplicar mas presión a un lado , relevar completamente la presión del lado opuesto ..

Hablemos un poco de la distancia de parada , estas están usualmente publicadas para condición de pista :

• Mojada
• Charcos de 6.3   m m ( 0.25” )
• Charcos de 12.7 m m ( 0.5 “)
• Slush de 6.3 m m ( 0.25 “ )
• Slush de 12.7 m m ( 0.5” )
• Nieve compactada y
• Hielo .

Esto se asume de la distribución pareja del contaminante , máxima frenada de pedales al sentar ruedas , sistema Anti- Skid operativo .

Además a esto se le introduce factores de corrección por : Elevación del aeropuerto , componente de viento , empuje reverso . 

Las Fuerzas de parada, es la fuerza total de parada y la combinación de Resistencia aerodinámica ( incluyendo la resistencia causada por el fluido contaminante en las ruedas ) .

Empuje reverso y la resistencia de rodaje .

Los factores que afectan la distancia de parada , las condiciones de pista y tipo de frenada , varias condiciones de pista y tres procedimientos de frenada , en pista contaminada con charcos de agua o Slush , las distancias de parada con Auto Brake MED o LOW son similares .

Empuje reverso : Cuando se usan Auto Brakes  , el efecto de los reversibles es función de rata de desaceleración seleccionada y el tiempo de demora en la activación del Auto Brake y la condición de la pista contribución del contaminante a la rata de desaceleración .

Como una buena recomendación y algunas guías operacionales, algunos tips para que su Aerolínea sea segura y usted como Piloto opere con Seguridad su Aeronave  este atento a todos los peligros que se pueden presentar durante un aterrizaje en pistas mojadas, contaminadas , si no esta seguro considere ir a otro aeropuerto con mejores condiciones , anticipe planifique decida a tiempo , evite aterrizar en pistas contaminadas sin Anti Skid o solo un reversible , siempre calcule efectos de algún sistema inoperativo , seleccione Auto Brake de acuerdo al SOP , aproxime en GP Y Vapp , apunte a la Zona de Contacto , siente ruedas firmemente , use máximo reversible tan pronto sea posible después de sentar ruedas  confirme extensión de los spoilers , no demore en bajar la rueda de nariz a la pista , monitoree los Auto – Brakes , cuando frene con pedales aplique presión constante para control direccional use timón de dirección y frenada diferencial . No use dirección de nariz . 

Source: 

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:6Ivgmo6wwuIJ:www.aerocivil.gov.co/_layouts/download.aspx?SourceUrl%3D/AAeronautica/SegOperacional/Boletines/Documents/62-Boletin%2520Oct%25202010%2520Concepto%2520Pistas%2520Mojadas.doc+Luis+Alberto+Adelsohn&hl=es-419&gl=co&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESh09QFlo6naI1inOdNQmWdeqEDWkydd6mOuvRDDTZ563dfxd-ZAZJwMfhtx5oJmPxJyldz5uMm6DVTpUw4WE8jpb06aRb7purBwMSC5skHdKY1-OoW_Nn1wT_liKBzHnQmiWDoy&sig=AHIEtbRNC-kWzKXVOAq1J0XnYyYz6fd

                                     

                                                What is a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP?)

                                             
                                                  

A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) compromises a Flight Crew with a step by step guide to effectively and safely carry out operations. A particular SOP must not only accomplish the task at hand but also be understood by a crew of various backgrounds and experience within the organization.

SOP's can also be developed as time goes by to incorporate improvements based on experience, accidents, near misses or improvements from other manufacturers or operators to suit the needs of a particular organization.

In Flight Operations, strict procedures are defined covering every aspect of flight deck activity and embracing normal, abnormal and emergency situations. This wide range of procedures and checklists is essential because of the large number of situations which can arise and the critical nature of some of these situations. Although these procedures are written down in checklists and quick reference handbooks, pilots must be able to perform certain vital actions from memory, referring to the written procedure later to confirm that correct action has been taken.

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                                The Digital Aircraft - Heralding a New Generation of Aircraft Operations

                 A Critical Game-Changer for the Air Transport Industry

Manual Flight Operations

  

It is very interesting the information contained in this SAFO, in my personal opinion the new generation of Pilots who get a new Commercial License and get flying in to the Airlines or GA, has another outlook, the new generation of pilots already are adapted to that new computerization, the new technology and become more comfortable that  the airplane does everything , but in my personal view as an Aviation Accident Investigator , we need to be careful and emphasis more on the training, we have to work hard and focus on preventing future accidents.The SAFO is certainly brief and has good information regarding the issue for safety reasons.

A SAFO contains important Safety Information and may include recommended action. SAFO content should be especially valuable to air carriers in meeting their statutory duty to provide service with the highest possible degree of safety in the public interest. Besides the specific action recommended in a SAFO, an alternative action may be as effective in addressing the safety issue named in the SAFO.

http://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/all_safos/media/2013/SAFO13002.pdf

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Twelve Operational Pitfalls for Helicopter Pilots

Pilots, particularly those with considerable experience, try to complete a flight as planned, please passengers, meet schedules and generally demonstrate the "right stuff." This basic drive can have an adverse effect on safety and can impose an unrealistic assessment of piloting skills under stressful situations. Even worse, repetitive patterns of behavior based on unrealistic assessments can produce piloting practices that are dangerous, often illegal, and will ultimately lead to mishaps. Here are 12 of these possibly dangerous tendencies or behavior patterns:
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Responding to Peer Pressure - This is poor decision-making based upon emotional responses to peers rather than evaluating a situation objectively.
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Mental Expectancy - The inability to recognize and cope with changes in a situation different from those anticipated or planned. Visual illusions and similar aural sounds occurring at the "wrong" time often lead to such miscues.
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Get-There-Itis - This "disease", common among pilots, clouds the vision and impairs judgment by causing a fixation on the original goal or destination combined with a total disregard for any alternative courses of action.
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Duck-Under Syndrome - The tendency to "sneak a peek" by descending below minimums during an approach. Based on a belief that there is always a built in "fudge" factor that can be used or on an unwillingness to admit defeat and shoot a missed approach.
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Scud Running - Pushing the capabilities of the pilot and the aircraft to the limits by trying to maintain visual contact with the terrain while trying to avoid physical contact with it.
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Continuing Visual Flight Rules into Instrument Conditions - The all-too-often result of the above mentioned practice of scud running when this becomes the only alternative to flying into the ground. It is even more dangerous if the pilot is not instrument qualified or is unwilling to believe what the gauges are indicating.
.
Getting Behind the Aircraft -- Allowing events or the situation to control your actions rather than the other way around. This is characterized by a constant state of surprise at what happens next.

Loss of Positional/Situational Awareness - Another case of "getting behind the aircraft" which results in not knowing where you are, and an inability to recognize deteriorating circumstances and/or the misjudgment of the rate of deterioration.

Operating Without Adequate Fuel Reserves - Ignoring minimum fuel reserve requirements under either Visual Flight Rules or Instrument Flight Rules. This is generally the result of overconfidence, a lack of flight planning, or deliberately ignoring the regulations.
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Descent Below the Minimum En Route Altitude - The duck-under syndrome (mentioned earlier) manifesting itself during the en route portion of an Instrument Flight Rules operation.
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Flying Outside the Envelope - Unjustified reliance on the (usually mistaken) belief that the aircraft's high performance capabilities meet the demands imposed by the pilot's (usually overestimated) high performance flying skills.

Neglect of Flight Planning, Preflight Inspections, Checklists, Etc. - Unjustified reliance on the pilot's (usually overestimated) short- and long-term memory of regular flying skills, of repetitive and familiar routes, etc.

All experienced pilots have fallen prey to, or have been tempted by, one or more of these 12 dangerous tendencies at some time in their flying careers. Hopefully, they are natural mistakes that can be easily recognized for what they are and quickly avoided.
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The International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) promotes safety and works to reduce accidents. The organization was formed in 2005 to lead a government and industry cooperative effort to address factors that were affecting an unacceptable helicopter accident rate. The group's mission is to reduce the international civil helicopter accident rate by 80 percent by 2016.

More information about the IHST, its reports, its safety tools, and presentations from its 2011 safety symposium can be obtained at its web site at 

Source ; www.IHST.org and its Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/International-Helicopter-Safety-Team-IHST/150529738351608

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Pilot Fatigue Flying While Tired

                           

                                                      

I remember reading this interesting article last year about Pilot Fatigue; I want to share with the aviation community and analyze the possible consequences when crews flying while tired .

LOOKING up into the heavens at night, it's not hard to distinguish planets and stars from passing aeroplane lights. But a terrifying nosedive by an Air Canada flight in January 2011 shows that this is not always the case. The plunge was caused by a fatigued pilot who mistook the planet Venus for a United States Air Force plane, according to a report released this week by Canada's Transportation Safety Board.

The plane was halfway across the Atlantic ocean during a flight from Toronto to Zurich when the incident occurred. The first officer had just finished a 75-minute rest, though Air Canada flight crew are only meant to take controlled naps of up to 40 minutes to improve on–the–job performance.

 He initially thought Venus was a Boeing C-17 that was in the vicinity, but was corrected by the captain. The officer then took evasive action when he again thought the C-17 was heading towards his plane.

Fourteen of the 95 passengers and two flight attendants were injured during the 46-second event, which saw the Boeing 767 drop 400 feet and its pitch alter from two degrees up to six degrees down before the captain was able to react. Seven passengers were sent to hospital upon landing in Zurich, but nobody in business class was injured or even displaced, proving once again that it pays to be rich.

Coincidentally, the safety board released its preliminary annual summary  earlier this month and found that flying in Canada was safer in 2011 than in previous years. There were 932 reported occurrences—defined as an incident or accident—an 18% decrease from the 2006–2010 average of 1,135.

Source : The Economist

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Helicopter Training Accidents

                                                                         Auto Rotation 3 Stages

Today I’m going to share this interesting article something very motivating regarding Aviation Safety in Helicopters. I'm not a helicopter pilot, but I am a certified investigator to investigate accidents in helicopters. I’m very proud because I have had the opportunity to get my training with TSI (Transportation Safety Institute in Oklahoma City at the FAA Academy. I took the appropriate course of Rotorcraft Accident Investigation / Basic Aircraft Accident Investigation too, and learned a lot from my fellow instructors, especially Rick Thorpe Aircraft Senior Accident Investigator, Manager Rotorcraft Accident Investigation. I recommend to all Helicopters Pilots to take this interesting course.



                                                              

The five Common Factors in Helicopters, and also can apply this concept to Aircraft too,  are:

1.       Mechanical Failure, including loss of engine power.

2.       Wire Strikes.

3.       Controlled Flight Into Terrain.

4.       Excessive Takeoff Weight.

5.       The Performance.

      Something I learned and was very interesting, the Autorotation Common Errors:

ü  Failing to use sufficient antitorque when power is reduced.

ü  Lowering the nose too abruptly when power is reduced, thus placing the helicopter in a dive.

ü  Failing to maintain proper rotor R.P.M. during the descent.

ü  Application of up-collective pitch at an excessive altitude, resulting in a hard landing, loss of heading control, and possible damage to the tail rotor and the main rotor blade stops.

ü  Failing to level de helicopter.

       All this information can also be found on the page of the FAA Safety.

Even the Best Pilots Make Mistakes , In Human Factors deals with errors that pilots make, why the make them and also how they can prevent them , we need to minimize the numbers of errors as possible and try to break the chain , it is the best way to do it to avoid Incidents and Accidents.

Always Remember Fly Safely !!!!

  

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Personality and Motivation in Sport Human Factors for Pilots.

  

The performance of pilots can be interpreted as a generate of skill, attitude and personality factors. Although a great deal to work within the Aviation Community has been focused on ensuring technical proficiency and new determinations to focus the attitudes associated with crew coordination, personality factor to avoid and prevent aviation accidents.

The Human Brain is one of the most composite mechanisms identified and is the central and information processing center for almost all human activity and as well to understand when as Pilots we operated the controls in any airplane.

Certainly both factors (personality and motivation) have important implications for Pilots and their performance in any emergency situation, but keep in mind if you are mentally prepared and you practice any sport in your life the expectancy in every situation in which you become involved whether on the ground or in flight, you can improve an awareness of the probable elements of the situation you encounter in any phase of your flight.

There are many examples in aviation accidents what I’m learned,this word expectancy that have directed to accidents. Every Pilot knows the worst tragedy accident years ago , the KLM and Pan Am the two Boeings 747 collided on the runway on March 27 , 1977 Tenerife on the Canary Islands . Remember always this accident that Human Factors is the study of how people interact with their environments in any situation.

Practice any sport you like, is the best way to maintain a good situational awareness, remember that Pilot Error is an action or decision of the Pilot that if not fixed and corrected, could contribute to the occurrence of an incident or accident. Always Remember Fly Safely!!!!

                                                

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Runway Overruns and Excursions Accidents

In my personal view as an Aircraft Accident Investigator and one of the hypotheses about this type of accidents, I want to share my personal opinion and discuss something very important in relation to accidents in this final phase of the approach to the destination airport.

Runway Overruns and Excursions are prominent in accidents and serious incidents involving passenger jets and typically involve long and, or fast landings.

The Pilot in Command of the Russian Tu-204 Jet, maybe continued the approach with an unstabalized approach and did not go around on time if the weather should not in good conditions to land safely the airplane at the destination airport, maybe is a possibility so far until the investigators in charge determine the final cause in this accident and recover all the information inside the FDR.

Most often in this type of accidents a high approach speed led to a long landing and overrun situation and the consequences could be disastrous.

Other factors in this type of accidents when an aircraft overrun the runway included the circumstances conducive to visual illusions as I mentioned in my last aviation comments few days ago on December 25, 2012 I wrote the Effects of Low Visibility during Landing   before this accident ; a displaced runway threshold limited the landing distance to land safe the airplane .

There are several accidents related to these type of accidents regarding airplanes overrun the runway during landing in different airports around the world.

Some to remember, TAM Airlines Airbus 320 July 17, 2007 in Brazil, landing at Congonhas Airport, Air France Airbus A340-313E landing in Toronto Pearson Int'l Airport Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, no fatalities, Boeing 737-700 South West Airlines December 2005 after landing at Chicago Midway International Airport on a snowy evening. Airbus A320-233 TACA Airlines May 30, 2008 Tegucigalpa, Honduras, 65 Injuries, 5 (including 2 on the ground) and 121 survivors.

In all of these overrun accidents are involved pilots with a lot of good experience with more than 15,000 total flight hours and also with a good an exemplary flight record with no incidents and accidents before.

Always Remember Fly Safely !!!!

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                                                                    Runway Overrun

The last past and recent air crashes have been involved in the final approach phase landing in to the   airport, so I want to share this interesting article and also want to share my comment with the Global Aviation Community around the world to prevent future incidents and accidents similar to what I sited into my safety blog information. If you want to share any recommendation and ideas how to work together with the Aviation Community to avoid this type of accidents, you can use my blog information any time, thanks.

Human Performance

Visual Illusions Awareness

                                               

Visual illusions take place when conditions modify the pilot’s perception of the environment relative to his / her expectations.

Visual illusions may result in landing short of the runway, hard landing or runway overrun, but may also cause spatial disorientation and loss of control.

This  Briefing Note provides an overview of:

Factors and conditions that may cause visual illusions, how visual illusions affect the pilot’s perception of the airport / runway environment and runway; and,how to reduce the effects of visual illusions by implementing related prevention strategies and lines-of-defense in training and line operation.

Statistical Data

30 % of Approach-and-Landing Accidents occur during the conduct of visual approaches or during the visual segment of an instrument approach.

Visual Approaches at night present a greater exposure because of reduced visual cues, increased likelihood of visual illusions and risk of spatial disorientation.

Low visibility and/or precipitations are a circumstantial factor in more than 70 % of approach-and-landing accidents, including those involving CFIT.

How do Visual Illusions Affect the Pilot’s Perception ?

Visual illusions result from the absence of or the alteration of visual references that modifies the pilot perception of his / her position relative to the runway threshold.

Visual illusions affect perception of heights, distances and/or intercept angles.

Visual illusions are most critical when transitioning from IMC and instrument references to VMC and visual references.

Visual illusions (such as the black-hole effect) affect the flight crew vertical and horizontal situational awareness, particularly during the base leg and when turning final (as applicable) and during the final approach.

Visual illusions usually induce crew inputs (corrections) that cause the aircraft to deviate from the original and intended vertical or lateral flight path.

Visual illusions can affect the decision about when and how fast to descend from the MDA(H).

The following paragraph provides an expanded overview of all the factors and conditions creating visual illusions to discuss how each factor or condition may affect the pilot perception of:

The airport and runway environment, the terrain separation; and, the aircraft vertical or lateral deviation from the intended flight-path.

 Source : Airbus Safety Flight Operations Not

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The Hidden Dangers of Mountain Wave Turbulence

Perhaps other than IFR weather, nothing affects the pilot flying in the mountains more than the Mountain Wave.

•What is a Mountain Wave?

The most distinctive characteristic of the mountain wave is the lenticular cloud. This is a "signpost in the sky" indicating that mountain wave activity is present.

In meteorology, lee waves are atmospheric standing waves. The most common form is mountain waves, which are atmospheric internal gravity waves.

The conditions favoring strong lee waves suitable for soaring are:

 A gradual increase in wind speed with altitude.

 Wind direction within 30° of perpendicular to the mountain ridgeline.

 Strong low-altitude winds in a stable atmosphere.

 Ridge top winds of at least 20 knots .

The wave that forms over the mountain is more properly called the "Mountain Wave." The Waves or clouds downwind from the mountain are the mountain is the "standing wave" or "lee wave."

Pilots have come to accept all these names for wave activity regardless of where the lenticular clouds are positioned.

Be Safe and Fly Safely concerning the Concept of a Mountain Wave.

Investigación de Accidentes Aéreos & La Cadena del Error en los Accide

La investigación de los accidentes e incidentes aéreos es una tarea bien interesante para realizar, pero hay que tener mucho razonamiento  y aplicar la transparencia con mucho cuidado en el reporte  a elaborar cuando se deben exponer las recomendaciones al respecto en el informe final, porque ocurrió  el incidente o accidente cuales fueron esas causas fatales para que ese incidente o accidente no se vuelva a repetir.

En cualquier investigación de un accidente aéreo cada uno de los datos recopilados es rigurosamente analizado por el investigador a cargo de la correspondiente investigación.

En mi profesión como Piloto e Investigador de Accidentes Aéreos, he tenido la oportunidad de trabajar en diferentes fatídicos y lamentables accidentes donde se han perdido vidas humanas, siempre me encamino si es obligatorio hacia atrás en la historia de la empresa, la trayectoria del avión, y por supuesto la del Piloto accidentado.

La OACI reglamento en el anexo 13 del convenio de Chicago en 1944, como se debe operar y manejar la conducción de un accidente aéreo, el consejo adopto algunas normas y procesos para la investigación de cualquier accidente que está establecido en el anexo 13. De acuerdo al objetivo como lo enumera  el anexo 13, el único objetivo de la Investigación de Accidentes o Incidentes será la prevención de futuros Accidentes e Incidentes. El propósito de esta actividad no es determinar la culpa o la responsabilidad.

Como Pilotos al mando de una aeronave nadie de nosotros busca iniciar un vuelo fatal, pero es bien interesante que siempre se debe estar bien entrenado y conocer muy bien su aeronave y cumplir con las regulaciones , mantener siempre los parámetros de Seguridad Operacional  en un estándar alto para prevenir lo imprevisto en cualquier fase de nuestro vuelo.

Un solo eslabón que evitemos en esa cadena de eventos le evitara a usted como Piloto cualquier inconveniente para poder sortear una emergencia en cualquier fase del vuelo.

Esa responsabilidad es de toda la Tripulación, de que ese eslabón está en manos de nosotros como Pilotos, las auxiliares de vuelo son una parte muy importante en nuestra operación y el personal de tierra durante la operación de la aeronave en esta fase de inicio antes de ir al aire.

En mi experiencia y escribiendo estas cortas palabras en mi blog de información, todos debemos saber manejar ese ego que  como seres humanos nos compromete a analizar cualquier situación que se nos pueda presentar  como Pilotos al mando de una aeronave, por esto mismo nunca diga o piense a mí no me  va a pasar nada y analice muy bien  puede pasarme, recuerde esta frase como una parte de prevención,  el día que usted piense que ya no aprende más de la aviación , es recomendable de retirarse a tiempo ya que puede cometer el error de su vida . Todos queremos un vuelo seguro y llegar a tiempo, todos disfrutamos una familia que nos espera.

La responsabilidad siempre está en nuestras manos como Pilotos al comando de cualquier aeronave.



Effects of Low Visibility during Landing Avoid Aviation Accidents

Approaching in Low Visibility in rain, snow, fog, bad weather, will have serious impact on air traffic, and may even lead to an Aviation Accident.

However, in general in the final phase of the approach, pilots need visual reference from the runway to maneuver the airplane to touch down. The runway visual range (RVR) is the range over which the pilot of an aircraft on the center line of a runway can see the runway surface markings or the lights defining the runway or identifying its center line. The minimum RVR requirement for landing depends, amongst others, on the airport facilities, aircraft equipment, pilots' training and airlines' policy.

If the visibility deteriorates just before the plane touches down, that would pretend a great challenge to the pilot. Flights would hold in the air and wait for the visibility to improve. If low visibility condition persists, a flight may have to divert to another airport due to fuel consideration and make a safe landing. Occasionally a second approach to the same airport could be devastating after a Missed Approached, if you think the conditions  will continue the same , you never know ?????. Make a good decision and fly to your alternate immediately.

Minima for Landing Operations under Different Categories of Instrument Landing System (According to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) DOC 9365-AN/910)

 

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Decem

Runway Excursions

Runway excursions were the most frequent reported accident type in 2012 (26%). This share has increased over the last few years.

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December 19, 2012

Pilot Judgment

How Airline Pilots and Private Pilots obtain and process information and how their performance is affected by factors such as Cockpit Design, and Mental and Physical Health.

Our personalities as a humans and attitudes, occasionally combined with pressures on us from others, and may cause us Pilots to make good decisions during any phase of the flight.

So what is Pilot Judgment? Pilot Judgment is the mental process that any Pilot uses in making good decisions.

Perceptual Judgment + Cognitive Judgment = Increasing Cognitive Complexity.

Judgment is important in flying.

1.       Command of the Aircraft.

2.       Adherence to the Regulations.

3.       Interpretation of the Regulations.

In conclusion, consider the Wright Brothers’ attitude toward risk as they approached powered flight.

In 1901 two years before they succeeded, Wilbur Wright wrote a letter to a friend,

“All who are practically concerned with aerial navigation agree that the Safety of the Operator is more important to successful experimentation than any other point. The history of past investigation demonstrates that greater prudence is needed rather than greater skill. Only a madman would propose taking greater risk than great constructors of earlier times.”

Quoted in Coombs 1979.

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December 18, 2012          

It's no secret. When a flight crew's attention is diverted from the task of flying, the chance of error increases. Over the years there have been dozens of air carrier accidents that occurred when the crew diverted attention from the task at hand and became occupied with items totally unrelated to flying. Consequently, important things were missed. Things like setting the flaps prior to takeoff, or extending the landing gear before landing. Things like monitoring altitude on an instrument approach, or using engine anti-ice for takeoff during a blinding snow storm.

In 1981 the FAA enacted FAR 121.542 and FAR 135.100 to help curb the number of these accidents. Commonly known as the "sterile cockpit rule," these regulations specifically prohibit crew member performance of non-essential duties or activities while the aircraft is involved in taxi, takeoff, landing, and all other flight operations conducted below 10,000 feet MSL, except cruise flight.

Sterile Cockpit Rules

FAR 121.542 / FAR 135.100--Flight Crew Member Duties (a) No certificate holder shall require, nor may any flight crew member perform any duties during a critical phase of flight except those duties required for the safe operation of the aircraft. Duties such as company required calls made for non-safety related purposes as ordering galley supplies and confirming passenger connections, announcements made to passengers promoting the air carrier or pointing out sights of interest and filling out company payroll and related records are not required for the safe operation of the aircraft. (b) No flight crew member may engage in, nor may any pilot in command permit, any activity during a critical phase of flight which could distract any flight crew member from the performance of his or her duties or which could interfere in any way with the proper conduct of those duties. Activities such as eating meals, engaging in non-essential conversations within the cockpit and non-essential communications between the cabin and cockpit crews, and reading publications not related to the proper conduct of the flight are not required for the safe operation of the aircraft. (c) For the purposes of this section, critical phase of flight involves all ground operations involving taxi, takeoff and landing, and all other flight operations conducted below 10,000 feet, except cruise flight. Note: Taxi is defined as "movement of an airplane under its own power on the surface of an airport."

Cockpit Chatter Leads to Crash

                                                                                                 

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Pilot error caused a Russian-made passenger jet to crash into an Indonesia volcano seven months ago during a demonstration flight, killing all 45 people aboard, the National Commission on Safety Transportation announced Tuesday.

Information recovered from the Sukhoi Superjet-100's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder indicated the pilot in command was chatting with a potential buyer in the cockpit just before the plane slammed into dormant Mount Salak on May 9, Commission Chairman Tatang Kurniadi told reporters.

He said that 38 seconds before the crash, instruments inside the cockpit issued a warning saying "pull up, terrain ahead." Later the warning "avoid terrain" was issued six times, but the instruments were turned off because the crew assumed there was a problem with the database, Kurniadi said. He added that a simulation showed that the crash could have been avoided if the crew had responded within 24 seconds of the first warning.

"The crew was not aware of the mountainous area surrounding the flight path," Kurniadi said.

The Jakarta radar service was also not equipped with a system in the area where the crash occurred that was capable of informing flight crews of minimum safe altitudes, he said.

Russian pilot Alexander Yablontsev was in charge of the demonstration flight meant to woo potential buyers. He was an experienced test pilot, logging 10,000 hours in the Sukhoi Superjet and its prototypes.

Six minutes after it took off from a Jakarta airfield, the pilot and co-pilot asked air traffic control for permission to drop from 3,000 meters to 1,800 meters (10,000 feet to 6,000 feet) on the scheduled half hour flight.

"The purpose of decreasing the altitude was to make it not too high for the landing process at Halim airport," Kurniadi said.

However, six minutes later, the plane hit the mountain, he said.

It took more than 17 additional minutes before anyone on the ground realized the plane had vanished from radar screens, and no alerts sounded on the system prior to the disappearance.

Indonesia is one of Asia's most rapidly expanding airline markets, with growth rates of nearly 20 percent a year. It has a poor air safety record and is struggling to provide qualified pilots, mechanics, air traffic controllers and updated airport technology to ensure safety.

On Sunday, a blackout at Jakarta's international airport led to a 15-minute disruption of its radar system, causing 64 regional and domestic flights to be delayed, said Bambang Ervan, Transportation Ministry spokesman. The outage has raised questions about the safety of the airport's 26-year-old system.

Last month, Indonesia certified the Russian Superjet-100 as safe to fly in the country after a thorough validation process unrelated to the crash investigation. This opened the lines for delivery of the aircraft to its first customer in Southeast Asia, the Indonesian airline Sky Aviation, which signed a deal for 12 planes.

The Superjet is Russia's first new model of passenger jet since the fall of the Soviet Union two decades ago and is intended to help resurrect its aerospace industry.

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December 17, 2012                                                                                                                              

During takeoff and some taxi maneuvers, the high thrust levels of modern jet engines can produce exhaust wakes that present a significant hazard to other aircraft operating on or near the airport surface. The jet blast incidents presented in this CALLBACK highlight the need for both Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers to be aware of the circumstances where this hazard can occur and take measures to avoid jet blast or prevent it from happening.

The six events below deal with aircraft versus aircraft scenarios that occurred in the runway environment. Jet blast (or prop wash) can also occur in the ramp area where it poses a risk to vehicles and ground personnel as well.

Source : NASAs Aviation Safety Reporting System ASRS Dic 2012

http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/publications/callback/cb_395.html

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December 17, 2012                                                                                                                                    

TEORIA DE LAS CAUSAS DE LOS ACCIDENTES

 W. H. Heinrich (1931),

Los accidentes se definen como sucesos imprevistos que producen lesiones, muertes, pérdidas de producción y daños en bienes y propiedades. Es muy difícil prevenirlos si no se comprenden sus causas. Ha habido muchos intentos de elaborar una teoría que permita predecir los accidentes, pero ninguna de ellas ha contado, hasta ahora, con una aceptación acorde. Investigadores de diferentes campos de la ciencia y de la técnica han intentado desarrollar una teoría sobre las causas de los accidentes que ayude a identificar, aislar y, en última instancia, eliminar los factores que causan o contribuyen a que ocurran accidentes. En el presente artículo se ofrece un breve resumen de las diferentes teorías sobre sus causas, además de una estructura de los accidentes.

Teorías sobre la Causalidad de los Accidentes

 La teoría del domino:

Según W. H. Heinrich (1931), quien desarrolló la denominada teoría del “efecto dominó”, el 88 % de los accidentes están provocados por actos humanos peligrosos, el 10%, por condiciones peligrosas y el 2 % por hechos fortuitos. Propuso una “secuencia de cinco factores en el accidente”, en la que cada uno actuaría sobre el siguiente de manera similar a como lo hacen las fichas de dominó, que van cayendo una sobre otra. He aquí la secuencia de los factores del accidente:

 1. Antecedentes y entorno social.

 2. Fallo del trabajador.

 3. Acto inseguro unido a un riesgo mecánico y físico.

 4. Accidente.

 5. Daño o lesión.

Heinrich propuso que, del mismo modo en que la retirada de una ficha de dominó de la fila interrumpe la secuencia de caída, la eliminación de uno de los factores evitaría el accidente y el daño resultante, siendo la ficha cuya retirada es esencial la número 3. Si bien Heinrich no ofreció dato alguno en apoyo de su teoría, ésta presenta un punto de partida útil para la discusión y una base para futuras investigaciones.

·         Teoría de la causalidad múltiple.

·         La teoría de la casualidad pura.

·         Teoría de la probabilidad sesgada.

·         Teoría de la propensión al accidente.

·         Teoría de la transferencia de energía.

·         Teoría de “los síntomas frente a las causas”.

Estructura de los Accidentes

La creencia de que los accidentes tienen causas y pueden prevenirse nos obliga a estudiar los factores para prevenirlos. Al analizar estos factores, pueden aislarse las causas primordiales y adoptarse las medidas necesarias para impedir que se repitan.

 Las causas esenciales pueden clasificarse en “inmediatas” y “concurrentes”. En el primer caso se trata de actos peligrosos del trabajador y de condiciones de trabajo inseguras. En el segundo, de factores relacionados con la gestión y de las condiciones físicas y mentales del trabajador. Tienen que converger varias de estas causas para que se produzca un accidente. Con todo, es necesario comprender la relación de “causa-efecto” de los factores inductores de accidentes para emprender una mejora continua de los procesos de seguridad.

Debes  tomar en cuenta  que la Seguridad depende  tanto de la conducta y las actitudes de las personas, como de la prevención que a su vez debemos tomar al respecto, solo así se lograra disminuir los incidentes o desvíos que nos llevan a los accidentes y por consiguiente a las lesiones .

H. W. Heinrich

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------December 16, 2012                                                                                                                                               

 Biker Safety Tips: Motorcycle Accident Prevention

                       Before You Ride Follow this Check List same as when you are planning your flight.



ü  Read the owner’s manual, as it will give you many specifics that you will find helpful in understanding and maintaining your bike.

ü  Check the tires – these are the most important parts of your bike. Check the surface of the tires for cuts and foreign objects. Check the tire pressure with a good gauge, avoiding ones you find at gas stations. Many times they’ve been used a lot and may not be accurate.

ü  Check the controls – cables are strong and rarely break, but check for kinks or stiffness.

ü  Check your lights, turn signals, horn, and mirrors.

ü  Check the oil, fuel, and if your bike is liquid-cooled, the coolant levels.

ü  If your motorcycle has a chain-drive to the rear wheel, make sure that the chain is properly tensioned and in good shape.

ü  Make sure that the side stand and center stand fold up and stay up.

ü  Check your brakes as you roll off. Make sure they work.

    NTSB SAFETY ALERT

Motorcycle Deaths Remain High

http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/safetyalerts/SA_012.pdf

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                           December 15, 2012                                                                                                                                                                           

CFIT Case  Accident. GA

CFIT kills two

This January 2010 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

Aircraft: Piper Cherokee Six. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Honolulu, Hawaii. Aircraft damage: Destroyed.

What reportedly happened: The 81-year-old pilot, who had logged about 5,900 hours, was on the return leg of his regular 63-nautical-mile commute between two islands. He was cleared for a VFR arrival, which entailed passing over a VORTAC, continuing over a golf course, and then following a freeway before entering the traffic pattern. The controller told the pilot to proceed to the VORTAC, but the pilot replied that he wanted a vector. The controller provided a vector and the pilot said that he did not have the island in sight. The controller told the pilot to resume his own navigation. The airplane flight path crossed over the VORTAC and proceeded north into mountainous terrain instead of the cleared arrival path. While the pilot said that he was over the golf course, radar data indicate that he was actually about 2.5 miles to the east of that location. About 1 minute 20 seconds later, he said that he was inbound for landing, and the controller told him that he was heading toward the mountains. The pilot immediately requested a vector for landing. The controller told the pilot to make either a left or right turn southbound to a 180° heading. The airplane was substantially off course for almost 90 seconds before impact.

Despite the pilot’s two radio calls suggesting disorientation during the flight’s final 90 seconds, the controller did not issue a safety alert to the pilot. Although the responsibility for flight navigation rests with the pilot, FAA Order 7110.65, paragraph 2-1-6, directs controllers, in part, to “Issue a safety alert to an aircraft if you are aware the aircraft is in a position/altitude which, in your judgment, places it in unsafe proximity to terrain, obstructions, or other aircraft.” The investigation concluded that the controller had sufficient information to determine that a low altitude alert was necessary, as evidenced by her attempt to turn the airplane. A timely low altitude alert may have enabled the pilot to climb and avoid the accident. When the controller recognized that there was a problem with the airplane, she concentrated on correcting his lateral track rather than helping him immediately climb to a safe altitude.

Probable cause: The pilot’s continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions at an altitude insufficient to ensure adequate terrain clearance. The air traffic controller’s failure to issue a safety alert after observing the pilot’s navigational deviation toward high terrain was a factor.

For more information: NTSB.gov. NTSB Identification: WPR10FA1074

December 15, 2012                                                                                                                                  

CFIT (Controlled Flight into Terrain)

Los accidentes causados por CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain) es decir, vuelo controlado contra el terreno, son uno de los accidentes en  el mundo de la aviación general, normalmente como consecuencia de una entrada previa en condiciones IMC (instrumentales) de un vuelo visual (VFR).

Según las estadísticas, en un 80% de todos los accidentes causados por CFIT se ven involucrados aviones de aviación general, con un resultado fatal en el 75% de los casos.

Generalmente se pueden distinguir dos grandes perfiles de accidentes tras la entrada inadvertida en IMC de un vuelo VFR, mostrando siempre unos trazos recurrentes:

·         Pérdida de Control: la pérdida de la orientación espacial por parte del piloto tras entrar de forma inadvertida dentro de nubes. Desorientado, sin referencias visuales y sin entrenamiento en el vuelo por instrumentos, acaba perdiendo el control de la linea de vuelo y desembocando en una barrena hasta el suelo, o incluso en la pérdida de integridad estructural de la aeronave al maniobrar por encima de Vne.

·         Final Súbito: el piloto se adentra inadvertidamente dentro de nubes sin seguir un plan de vuelo instrumental, normalmente tras intentar mantenerse en visual por debajo del techo de nubes hasta que el terreno creciente no le deja margen para mantenerse por debajo de la capa de nubes. El piloto intenta alcanzar una zona con techos más altos sin tener en cuenta el terreno que tiene por delante y acaba colisionando contra la montaña en una actitud de vuelo nivelado y a alta velocidad, esto es muy comun en Paises topograficos como Colombia .

Es curioso que, pese a la brutal tasa de mortalidad que tienen este tipo de accidentes, algunos pilotos continúen volando en forma no tecnica teniendo en cuenta  que significa meterse en condiciones IMC, cerca del suelo y sin seguir un plan de vuelo IFR, en el intento de sortear el mal tiempo y alcanzar su destino por la vía rápida.

Y es que por mucho que nos empeñemos, los aviones no tienen nada que hacer frente a las montañas, por lo que confiarnos  de nuestra intuición (o incluso de un GPS con Terrain Map) para detectar los posibles obstáculos representa un riesgo demasiado grande para la salud.

Estoy seguro que muchos de nosotros como Pilotos, alguna vez hemos estado en una situación critica , de lo que estoy exponiendo las consecuencias fatales a las que podemos llegar si no respetamos las condiciones para evitar el CFIT .

El CFIT siempre ocurre la mayoría de veces en la  entrada inadvertida en IMC con la consiguiente pérdida de contacto visual con el terreno.

Recomiendo a todas las tripulaciones lo importante que es estar bien entrenado y entender el concepto del CFIT, el riesgo que esto nos puede ocasionar, si no entendemos bien los conceptos para prevenir accidentes, recuerde que la Seguridad Aérea es una responsabilidad de todos, comparta todo este material con sus colegas para así tener un buen conocimiento en la prevención de accidentes aéreos.

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December 14 , 2012  

Incident: TAM A320 at Curitiba on Dec 13th 2012, Bird Strike

A TAM Linhas Aereas Airbus A320-200, registration PR-MYN performing flight JJ-3010 from Curitiba,PR to Sao Paulo Congonhas,SP (Brazil) with 152 passengers, was climbing out of Curitiba's runway 33 when a bird impacted the aircraft prompting the crew to level off at 7000 feet and return to Curitiba for a safe landing on runway 33 about 15 minutes after departure. The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto the next flight about 2 hours later. Source : Aviation Herald

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December 13, 2012

What is a Bird Strike? How can we keep planes safe from them in the future?

 

A Bird Strike is a collision between an aerial animal usually a bird.

Bird strikes are a significant threat to flight safety, and have caused a number of accidents with human fatalities. The number of major accidents involving Civil Aviation Airplanes  is quite low and it has been estimated that there is only about 1 accident resulting in human death in one billion (109) flying hours. The common of bird strikes (65%) cause little damage to the aircraft; but however, the collision is usually fatal to the bird. As Pilots we need to understand the concept that most accidents occur when the bird hits the windscreen or flies into the engines.

Bird Strikes happen most often during Takeoff or Landing, or during Low Altitude Flight.

Why are birds such a threat to Aircraft?

It essentially comes down to the physics equation for kinetic energy: Energy is proportional to mass times velocity squared. The velocity of the aircraft allows for the impact of this feathered bird to generate enough force to cause an engine to malfunction. (A 12-pound, or 5.5-kilogram, Canada goose struck by an aircraft traveling 150 miles, or 240 kilometers, per hour at liftoff generates the force of a 1,000-pound, or 455-kilogram, weight dropped from a height of 10 feet, or three meters, according to Bird strike USA.—Editor's Note)

When a plane is taking off, it is going 170 miles (275 kilometers) per hour and accelerates to several hundred mph. The engine's fan blades during taking off—like this plane today—are going 3[,000] to 4,000 rotations per minute, and the tips of those turbofan blades are actually at the speed of sound or greater—700 to  800 mph (1,125 to 1,285 kilometers per hour). When a bird hits one of those fan blades, there's a tremendous energy transfer from the bird to the engine, and that's basically why a bird can cause serious damage to an aircraft engine.

Golden Eagle Through Windshield 

http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/form/faa5200-7.pdf

                                                        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1jZvlFmqQU

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December 12, 2012                                                                                                                          

Aircraft Upset

Aircraft Upset is a dangerous condition in aircraft operations which may result in the loss of control of the aircraft. Loss of control may be due to turbulent weather, pilot disorientation, or a system failure.

From: The FAA's Pilot Guide to Airplane Upset Recovery.

An airplane upset is defined as an airplane in flight unintentionally exceeding the parameters normally experienced in line operations or training. In other words, the airplane is not doing what it was commanded to do and is approaching unsafe parameters. While specific values may vary among airplane models, the following unintentional conditions generally describe an airplane upset:

 Pitch attitude greater than 25 deg, nose up.

 Pitch attitude greater than 10 deg, nose down.

 Bank angle greater than 45 deg.

 Within the above parameters, but flying at airspeeds inappropriate for the conditions.

Recovery to a stable flight path should be initiated as soon as a developing upset condition is recognized. This preventive action may alleviate what might otherwise develop into a very serious event.

Fellow Pilots check the link and review this excellent video take your time.

Always Remember

Fly Safely!!!

http://www.faa.gov/tv/?mediaId=489

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December 11, 2012                                                                                                                              

CRM (Crew Resource Management) Prevention of Accidents

The Learning method in our every day job functions every day is a constant process that never ends.

As a professional  in our particular duties as Pilots, Flight Attendants, Maintenance etc., we must be constantly able to work together in a safety environment. This is even more important when you consider that this efficiency may depend our lives and the lives of others when  we flying an airplane.

Be updated every day as a Crew implies learning.

Today the constant development of aviation brings several extremely high loads of new responsibilities and tasks for those directly involved in the operation of an aircraft from the crew on board and ground maintenance personnel to air traffic controllers, to many others.

Aviation is not just boarding a plane, but also is to understand the principles that allow an aircraft to fly, but do safely. It is very important to understand the ability to understand the knowledge, as an airmen, why your aircraft fly, this emphasize how important it is that flight crews receive proper training and appropriate, not only to fly the aircraft correctly it is also to be prepare for any situation you will expect and resolve in any abnormal situation or circumstances that we can have during the flight.

From the beginning CRM, initially recognized as a Cockpit Resource Management .This concept after some years become much wider doctrine, being known until today as Crew Resource Management.

The CRM emphasizes the importance of using all available resources effectively to achieve air operations safer and more efficient. The goal of CRM is to improve every day the ability of the crew in a decision-making, administration and management of the resources available and have a good communication with the rest of the crew and other elements involved in the safest operation of the aircraft.

But CRM does not end here, because the operation is more deeply involved with two other important aspects in the training of flight crews, human factors and the organizational culture ,it is very important issues.

Statistically, the vast majority of aircraft accidents occurring at present point, one of the main cause are 80 % sometimes described as a Pilot Error. All of us in the aviation environment related or not specifically, when a plane crash we wonder many things and questions, when we read in the newspapers or listen to reports on the media the phrase that summarizes what happened  when an airplane crashed we think was a pilot error?????. Not necessarily incompetence or lack of experience. Some factors influencing a decision-making, that overload the workload and that in many cases inevitably lead to the accident.

In the meantime the organizational culture, which reflects the regular of social and intellectual expression of a group or organization that determines the assertiveness of all the members working together to prevent incidents or accidents. We need to focus and have a good safety business plan in the organization, defining a good Safety Program and the Safety Management System that includes the safety policies and objectives, Safety Promotions, Safety Assurance, and Safety Risk Management.

A change in the attitude of the group is reflected in a change in the attitude of the individual.

Today all this reflects that CRM tries to change the attitude in making decisions based on custom and culture, emphasizing the importance of knowing how to handle the resources and skills of the crew.

So today I am sharing this article and this reading to know a little more of this doctrine, to understand more deeply the importance of constant training and updated and motivated me to write these words, which targets to encourage everyone to read and share with others in the aviation community to learn to do the same. To be UPDATE, implies learning, Aviation Safety is a commitment. Safety First.

Eliminate cultural barriers it is very important for crews and safety, also establishing the importance of everyone’s contributions. Creating a spirit of shared commitment recognizing cultural differences and reinforcing a positive safe behavior. Remember always, upon you think you do not learn more of aviation, it's the time to retire because you're about to make the big mistake of your life.