InterPilot

ISSUE 1 | 2017

The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA www.ifalpa.org

Pilot’s Perspective on
CRM Assessment
IFALPA Human Performance Committee Vice
Chair Captain David McKenney shares a
Federation pilot’s view
Independent by Design
Commentary by Christopher A. Hart,
NTSB Chairman
Voice of the Regions
ALPA Canada VP & IFALPA Director for Canada,
Captain Brian Shury relates his experience as a
pilot in the NAM Region
2  NEWS, NOTES & EVENTS

Issue 1 | 2017 InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA

 CONTENTS 3 

4 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

The International Federation

Independent, Together 14
of Air Line Pilots’ Associations 6-7 NEWs, notes, events
IFALPA Publications: 2016 Year in
485 rue McGill, Bureau 700, Review, Visit to IFALPA HQ
Montreal, Quebec, H2Y 2H4, Canada
Tel: +1 514 419 1191 8-9 News, Notes, Events 14 crm assessment, The Pilot’s
Fax: +1 514 419 1195 Committee Meetings at a Glance Perspective
Email: [email protected]
By Captain David McKenney,
Web: www.ifalpa.org

8
Introduction by IFALPA
Technical Officer, Gordon Margison

EXECUTIVE TEAM
20 voice of the regions
President: Captain Ron Abel
A look into the career of a pilot in the
Managing Director: Christoph Schewe
NAM Region, By Captain Brian Shury
Technial Director: Captain Mike Jackson

EDITORIAL 11 The NTSB: Independent by

Editor: Emily Bitting
Cover image: Shutterstock
design
By Chairman Christopher A. Hart 20
Introduction by IFALPA
Senior Technical Officer,
ADVERTISING Captain Arnaud du Bédat
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InterPilot is a quarterly publication produced

internally from our headquarters in Montreal,
Canada.
The mission of IFALPA is to promote the highest level of aviation
It is produced by & for Members. If you have
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safety worldwide and to be the global advocate of the piloting
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The views expressed in this magazine are those of the authors

and do not necessarily reflect the views of IFALPA.

Articles and information contained in this publication are the

copyright of IFALPA and may not be reproduced in any form
without the written permission of the publisher.

www.ifalpa.org

InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA Issue 1 | 2017

4  PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Independent Together
to Advance Safety
T his first InterPilot installment of 2017 showcases how IFALPA’s decades-long commitment to
aviation safety combines the power of both collective and independent action. These pages are
filled with examples of the significant safety improvements that result when our Federation leads
collective efforts along with the importance of independent safety work by our members and others
as our industry strives to safeguard air transportation around the globe.
Since 1948, when IFALPA was founded at a conference of pilots’ associations held in London, our
Federation has served as both a voice and visionary for advancing aviation safety on behalf of airline
Captain Ron Abel
pilots around the world. As IFALPA interacts with what is arguably the most influential international
Acting President, IFALPA body affecting aviation, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), we have unparalleled
credibility and access to decision makers as they debate myriad safety issues, including airline
accident investigation.
Aviation accidents, and the very personal need to do more to prevent them, were among the
forces that inspired our Federation’s would-be members to join together in London that day.
Fast-forward to today and we find many in the general public and news media who rush to point to
a single cause for each accident or incident.
IFALPA and safety advocates across our industry know better. We are keenly aware that accidents
result from a collection of factors. Unlocking the chain of events leading to an incident or accident
has been instrumental in creating our industry’s enviable safety record in the past. It remains central
to continuing our work to prevent accidents in the future.
As you’ll read in a column by U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chairman the
Honorable Christopher A. Hart, the Board will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2017. The idea of
independent safety work is essential to the Board’s mission. Working with political and functional
independence allows the NTSB to evaluate the evidence and improve the quality of accident
investigations and the recommendations it makes.
Key to IFALPA’s work is turning knowledge gained through investigation into effective safety
recommendations. We take the initiative on emerging safety issues and long standing concerns and
communicate the latest information to our members. In a recent example, our Federation learned
that between 2011 and 2015, about 65 percent of all recorded accidents occurred in the approach and
landing phases of flight. Researchers identified unstable approaches as a significant factor in these
accidents. As a result, our Federation (in cooperation with IATA, IFATCA and CANSO) developed
the second edition of a manual that enhances overall awareness of the contributing factors in
unstable approaches and details proven prevention strategies.
Safety is also everyone’s independent responsibility. You’ll read in this issue how Crew Resource
Management (CRM), developed more than 30 years ago for conflict resolution purposes, now
improves the proficiency and competency of individual pilots and flight crews as a whole. By making
the most of all available resources, CRM helps coordinate the independent actions of key people
involved in a flight operation and takes our industry to the next level in promoting safety.
Few events showcase the power of independent action as part of a collective effort as well as
IFALPA’s Annual Conference. We are already deep into planning this year’s event, May 5–8, in
Montreal. As always, our 72nd conference will bring together our committees, membership, and
other industry stakeholders to discuss accident analysis and prevention, along with a range of other
safety issues from aircraft design and operation to air traffic services and dangerous goods.
Working independently together is among IFALPA’s strengths, and it is in doing so that our
industry can secure future success in safeguarding the skies.

Issue 1 | 2017 InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA

 NEWS, NOTES & EVENTS 5 

Emergency Vision Assurance System

Cockpit Smoke Protection

Lithium Battery Production
8
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500
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2000 2010 2020

One of the largest trends in the growth of

in-flight fire is due to the transportation of
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VisionSafe.com 1-844-FLY-EVAS
E mergency V ision A ssurance S ystem (359-3827)
6  NEWS, NOTES & EVENTS

NOTES
IFALPA Publications
Year in Review
POSITION PAPERS

• 16POS01 – Problematic Substance Use Testing

• 16POS02 – Fire Protection of Cargo Compartments
• 16POS03 – Engine-Out Taxi
• 16POS04 – Implementation of the Reduced Lateral Separation Trial in the NAT
• 16POS05 – Runway Overrun Awareness and Alerting System (ROAAS)
• 16POS06 – Automated V1
• 16POS07 – Similar Call Signs
• 16POS08 – Cyber Threats
• 16POS09 – Transport of Dangerous Goods by Post
• 16POS10 – Lithium Battery Fire/Smoke in the Cockpit
• 16POS11 – All Engine-Out Taxi (AEOT)
• 16POS12 – Compromising Safety with Security Procedures
• 16POS13 – Background Checks for Pilots

• BRIEFING LEAFLETS

• 16HUPBL01 – Problematic Substance Use Testing

• 16AGEBL01 – Runway Status Lights
• 16ADOBL02 – Go-Around, Missed Approach and Baulked Landings
• 16SECBL01 – Cyber Threats
• 16SECBL02 – Behavioural Detection as a Security Measure

SAFETY BULLETINS

• 16SAB01 – Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Plans for Satellite Launch

• 16SAB02 – Zika Virus and Aviation
• 16SAB03 – Flying Fox (Bat) Activity Safety Alert at Australian Airports (BNE, CNS, SYD)
• 16SAB04 – High Altitude Operations of Unmanned Free Balloons
• 16SAB05 – Information for Travellers on Zika Virus
• 16SAB06 – SID STAR Phraseology and Procedures
• 16SAB07 – Oakland (KZAK) Oceanic ATC Operations Variations in Airspeed in Controlled Airspace
• 16SAB08 – Postponement-Phase 2 of the (NAT) Implementation Plan for the trial application of RLatSM
• 16SAB09 – Information on Charting of VSS Penetrations
• 16SAB10 – Increased Utilization of Data Link Services in the North Atlantic
• 16SAB11 – Update on SID STAR Phraseology and Procedures

Issue 1 | 2017 InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA

 NEWS, NOTES & EVENTS 7 

NEWS
Visits to IFALPA HQ
www.yaapa54.org
Ms. Fadimatou Noutchemo Simo,
founder and president of the Young
African Aviation Professional
Association (YAAPA), came by the
Secretariat for a visit after wrapping up
at ICAO this December. The aim of
YAAPA is to promote, attract and retain
through communication, young
Africans in the aviation and aerospace
industry.Learn more about YAAPA and
its relationship with ICAO at www.
yaapa54.org.
L-R: Technical Officer Gordon
Margison, Ms. Simo, Member Relations
Coordinator Mleue Lindeman and
Professional and Government Affairs
Officer Sebastian Curras.

InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA Issue 1 | 2017

8  NEWS, NOTES & EVENTS

EVENTS
Committee Meetings at a Glance
HUPER Committee Meeting LEG Committee meeting
The most recent meeting of the Human Chaired by Captain Oliver Sellmann, the IFALPA EVENTS
Performance Committee in Bangkok covered Legal Committee meeting was held in
a wide range of Medical, Human Factors and Montreal, Canada at the IFALPA Secretariat Register via the Members Area
Training topics. These included recent from 9-10 November, 2016. www.ifalpa.org
regulatory developments in pilot mental health Delegates represented MAs from Australia,
IFALPA AVSEC Course
and drug and alcohol testing where it was Japan, the Netherlands, Israel, the United 23-26 January 2017 - Tunis
emphasised that pilot assistance programs States, and Spain and provided the Committee
provided the most effective prevention with their National Updates. 72nd Annual IFALPA Conference
method, giving pilots a safe harbour to discuss A presentation by Observer Ignacio Plaza 5-8 May 2017 - Montreal
challenges and identify appropriate treatment Sevillano, Legal Advisor of ECA focused on
IFALPA Negotiations Seminar
options. developments of the Court of Justice of the 23-25 May 2017 - Mexico City
In addition, the Committee discussed European Union and Just Culture. The
recently finalised Pilot Monitoring Guidance presentation inspired rich discussion. AAP Committee Meeting
which had been produced by an IATA expert The ICAO legal definition of RPAS, India 14-16 September 2017 - Tokyo
group and forwarded to ICAO as a proposed DGCA Medical Examinations and Wireless
DG Committee Meeting
manual. QAR Transmissions in Japan and the possible 2-4 October 2017 - Bangkok
On the topic of language proficiency, the misuse of information were major topics under
differences in the assessment criteria around discussion. IFALPA Negotiations Seminar
the world were highlighted and it was A thorough update on Norwegian Air 10-12 Oct 2017 - Amsterdam
proposed that IFALPA develop a position on Shuttle by EVP PGA Captain Jack Netskar
standardising English language assessments. incorporated video and research components.

Issue 1 | 2017 InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA

 NEWS, NOTES & EVENTS 9 

EVENTS
Committee Meetings at a Glance
SEC committee Meeting CAR/SAM Regional Meeting
The IFALPA Security Committee met in From 5-7 December in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Caribbean and South America Regional
Hong-Kong from the 7-9 November at the meeting had eight Member Associations represented from both the CAR and SAM Regions.
kind invitation of HKALPA. The meeting, There were presentations and discussions on Fight Time Limitations and Fatigue Risk
which had a record attendance of 35 Management Systems, Illegal Substance Use Tests, Challenges in Operational Safety
Delegates, was chaired by Captain Agustin Management, Instrument Flight Procedures, as well as general discussions on technical issues
Guzmán (Spain), and benefited from the affecting the Regions and updates from the Member Associations.
presence and input of Captain Ron Abel,
Acting President, and Captain Patrick
Magisson, Executive Vice-President, Technical
and Safety Standards. The main topics
discussed were Laser attacks, Flights into and
over conflict zones, Minimum occupancy of
the flight deck, Crew Member Certificates and
Risk-based security.
The Committee went through a great
number of reports and papers in preparation of
the forthcoming meetings of the ICAO AVSEC
Panel and related Working Groups, in order to
provide the various IFALPA Representatives
with appropriate input. The Committee also
finalized Position Papers on “Compromising
Security with Safety Procedures, on
“Background checks for pilots”, on “Cyber
threats” and on “UAS Security”, as well as a
Briefing Leaflet on “Behavioural Detection”.

InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA Issue 1 | 2017

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 the ntsb: independent by design 11

The NTSB:
Independent by Design
by chairman christopher a. hart

Finding the Right Answers

IFALPA Senior Technical Officer Introduction The NTSB is the United States’ transportation accident investigation
by captain Arnaud du Bédat agency. Even pilots, who are familiar with the NTSB, might not fully
understand the extent and the limitations of our mandate. One important
The term “Accident Investigation Authority” was first idea both limits and strengthens the NTSB. That idea is independence.
incorporated into ICAO Annex 13 in 1981. Although many Next year, the NTSB marks its fiftieth anniversary. In 1967, Congress
States have adopted it in their Regulations and Legislations, established the NTSB as an independent agency placed within the U.S.
USOAP reports show that there is still some misunderstand- Department of Transportation (DOT) for administrative purposes.
ing as to the meaning of this term. In an effort to bring some Then in January 1975, Congress reestablished the NTSB outside of
clarification, ICAO sent some proposals in State Letter the DOT. Congress reasoned that “ ...No federal agency can properly
2013/55 of 19 July 2013, which eventually led to the perform such functions unless it is totally separate and independent from
adoption by the ICAO Council of Amendment 15 to Annex any other ... agency of the United States.”
13, on 22 February 2016. The Amendment, strongly Congress was right.
supported by IFALPA, introduces not only a definition of The NTSB investigates accidents in transportation, determines their
“Accident Investigation Authority” but also provisions for its causes, and makes safety recommendations to prevent them from
independence through the following text in paragraph 3.2: happening again. We make these recommendations to anybody who can
“A State shall establish an accident investigation authority that improve safety.
is independent from State aviation authorities and other That includes airlines, manufacturers, labor unions, and trade
entities that could interfere with the conduct or objectivity of associations. It also includes state and federal government agencies, such
an investigation.” This new Standard, along with other as the U.S. aviation safety regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration
provisions in the Annex, emphasizes that independence (FAA).
needs to be afforded to both the process followed in accident If that sounds like a broad mandate, it is. Congress gave us powerful
investigations and to the Accident Investigation Authority tools to discover the facts and issue recommendations.
itself, which should be functionally separate from the State However, we have no power to require anybody to make changes, and
Civil Aviation Authority rather than one of its units. IFALPA we focus on safety only. We strive to issue recommendations that are
believes that this will eventually avoid real or perceived realistic enough to achieve. However, we do not conduct cost-benefit
conflicts of interest, and enhance the credibility of investiga- studies.
tions. As the Standard became applicable on 10 November So it might seem surprising that more than 80% of the time, recipients
2016, States that have not yet established an independent of our recommendations implement them even though we cannot
Accident Investigation Authority now have to do so as soon require implementation. They take action because we take great care to
as possible. The following article gives a perfect example of get our investigations right. Furthermore, our recommendations are
how a major independent Accident Investigation Authority intended to improve safety – a shared goal of everybody concerned.
operates in practice. Every accident raises the question, “why?”
The NTSB was set up to find the right answers. To do this, Congress
gave us political and functional independence.

InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA Issue 1 | 2017

12 the ntsb: Independent by design

Political Independence Functional Independence

The NTSB has political independence so that nobody can The NTSB also has functional independence: As stated above, we are
influence an investigation through political pressure. The airline, only an investigator, not a regulator.
the manufacturer, labor unions, the FAA, or others might be In some industries, the regulator also investigates accidents. But what
criticized if the NTSB finds that they had a role in an accident. if the regulator itself played a role in the accident?
However, to improve safety, the NTSB needs to report what An agency in such a position often neglects or minimizes any
happened and how. NTSB Members, who are appointed by the mistakes of its own. Yet any defects in the regulations or the programs
President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, serve 5-year terms. that enforce them, once brought to light, might be opportunities for
They can be removed only for inefficiency, neglect of duties, or safety improvements.
malfeasance in office. By contrast, the President can remove most Since the NTSB is separate from the regulator, we can examine the
political appointees for any reason or without stating a reason. In regulator’s role in appropriate detail. In fact, many of our accident
addition, only three of the five Members of the NTSB can be of investigations generate more recommendations to the regulator than to
the President’s political party. These provisions discourage any other party.
anybody from trying to use political pressure to steer an The Payoff: Continuous Safety Improvement
investigation away from the facts. Independence insulates the NTSB from political or functional
In support of this political independence, the NTSB works pressure. So, we find answers based solely on evidence. This improves the
very transparently. The Board meets in the open, not behind quality of our investigation reports and the value of our safety
closed doors, in keeping with a U.S. law called the Government recommendations.
in the Sunshine Act that applies to our hearings and meetings. In Those who receive our recommendations tend to act on them, not
addition, we report the factual information that we gather because they have to – they don’t – but because they are very good ideas.
on-scene, the most-watched phase of our accident investigations. The U.S. aviation industry, as well as the FAA, have accepted the
We do not engage in on-scene speculation or analysis, and we NTSB’s political and functional independence. Our relationships are not
often update factual information as it becomes available. We adversarial. Rather, we mutually respect each other’s roles in improving
make all of our factual reports and supporting information safety.
available prior to the public Board meeting in which we decide For nearly half a century, the NTSB has investigated every civil
the probable cause of an accident. aviation accident in the United States. The lessons that we learn from
All of this transparency helps the NTSB maintain public trust. each accident continue to fuel continuous safety improvement. The
Industry views us as a vital source of safety information. The quality of our accident investigations continues to benefit from our
public appreciates access to the facts that led us to our political and functional independence.
conclusions and recommendations.

Issue 1 | 2017 InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA

Consult our fatigue resource library
Visit www.ifalpa.org

InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA Issue 1 | 2017

 The Pilot’s Perspective
on CRM Assessment
BY CAPTAIN DAVID MCKENNEY
Captain David McKenney is a B-767 pilot for United Airlines and is the Vice Chair
(Human Factors) for the IFALPA Human Performance Committee. He also serves as
a human factors and training expert for the Air Line Pilots Association, International
(ALPA), and is Co-chair of the United States PARC/CAST Flight Deck Automation
Working Group.

Issue 1 | 2017 InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA

 the pilot’s perspective on crm assessment 15

IFALPA Technical Officer Introduction

by gORDON mARGISON

Crew Resource Management (CRM) has been a topic that has received a lot
of attention over the last few years. What exactly constitutes CRM and how it
should be trained is something that has been interpreted differently in several
different countries. Overall, we have seen an improvement in CRM training
being provided, with much of the improvement being driven by new policies
and guidance to operators from national civil aviation authorities. Given the
increased interest in competency-based training with the upcoming amend-
The International Federation of Air Line
Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) has long ment of ICAO PANS-Training and the potential changes to the delivery of CRM
recognized that relying solely on a pilot’s training, we have decided to include an article by HUPER Committee Vice
technical knowledge and skills is not sufficient
Chairman of Human Factors, Capt. Dave McKenney that first appeared in the
to safely operate complex aircraft in today’s
flying environment. Crew Resource July/August 2011 edition ICAO Training Magazine.
Management (CRM) was developed over 30
years ago to help address this issue. Originally
portrayed as a conflict resolution skill, CRM
has evolved to define a set of skills to support a
any checking or jeopardy assessment process advocacy and feedback. Each carrier must
pilot’s technical and decision-making flying
has the potential to destroy such benefits and develop a CRM program that is tailored to
skills by providing the pilot with the cognitive
negatively affect safety. To understand the their specific culture and pilot demographics
and interpersonal skills needed to address
issues, one needs to review what CRM training of that carrier. Therefore, no single specific
human error by managing resources within the
is and how it is implemented. CRM program is suitable for all operations and
organized operational system.
all airlines. This has made it difficult for the
CRM is normally defined as a management
Threat and Error Management industry to adopt a single universal CRM
system which makes optimum use of all
CRM is now in its fifth generation which program with standardized terms, definitions
available resources, including equipment,
emphasizes Threat and Error Management and application methodology.
procedures and people, to promote safety and
(TEM). One of the underlying principles of
enhance the efficiency of flight operations.
the fifth generation of CRM is the premise that Integrating CRM into flight
IFALPA believes CRM can improve the
human error is inevitable and should be crewmember training
proficiency and competency of individual
normalized within the system (Helmreich, Recognizing that safety depends on the
pilots and flight crews as a whole, especially
1997). Pilots should be taught the limitations coordination of key people in the entire system
when it is implemented as an error
of human performance and trained to develop and not just on the actions of pilots, CRM
management strategy. Flight crews need
skills to detect and manage error. For this training should be implemented by flight
specific skills and strategies to assist them in
error management approach to succeed in any operations personnel employed by an air
coping with the dynamic demands of piloting
organization, the organization itself must first carrier who possess pertinent knowledge of the
and in reducing errors. IFALPA supports
recognize and communicate their formal culture, policies, procedures and training of
integrating CRM into flight crewmember
understanding that errors will occur and adopt that particular air carrier. Evidence shows that
training as a tool to minimize the
a non-punitive approach to error. a joint CRM course for flight crews, cabin
consequences of human error and to improve
crews, and dispatchers can improve the level of
flight crew performance.
CRM as a culture understanding and cooperation across the
Industry recognizes CRM as a “best
CRM is not just aircrew-centric; CRM does entire team.
practice” when fully integrated into initial
not start and stop with the captain or crew. Air carriers develop CRM programs that
licensing and recurrent training programs,
Effective CRM must be embedded within the promote the integration of practical flight
including Multi-Crew Pilot Licensing (MPL)
safety culture of the airline while addressing management skills with traditional technical
and Advanced Qualification Programs (i.e.,
airline-specific items (i.e., carrier specific skills. CRM awareness and error management
AQP, ATQP). When first introduced, a
operations and procedures), and needs to be training is most beneficial when the training
cornerstone in the acceptance for CRM
practiced and accepted at all levels of the curriculum is individualized; tailored to each
training was the assurance that CRM training
organization to positively affect operational airline’s unique culture and includes the added
would not include evaluation. Much of the
safety. To be truly effective, CRM must be realism of Line Oriented Flight Training
value and strength of CRM is based on this
embedded in the airline’s Safety Management (LOFT).
principle. IFALPA believes the introduction of
System (SMS) which should allow open

InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA Issue 1 | 2017

16 the pilot’s perspective on crm assessment

Lack of regulatory guidance based on CRM performance alone although pilots, resulting in possible negative safety
While CRM has evolved over the past 30 CRM has not matured sufficiently enough for implications. Another undesirable result of
years, regulatory guidance has not kept up. evaluators to effectively evaluate a flight attempting evaluation of CRM would be the
The lack of standard terms, definitions and crewmember’s performance. Industry unwillingness of pilots to be themselves during
application methodology, and lack of experience has shown that it is difficult to train evaluation and training, and they would
regulatory guidance has led to lack of and calibrate instructors/evaluators to instead act the way they perceive the check
standardization across the industry. Two successfully identify markers that would lead airman wants them to act in order to achieve a
distinct CRM application methodologies have to an overall “grade” or “consistent grading.” passing grade. This would result in a
emerged since the inception of CRM: This is in part due to these markers not being misrepresentation of the crews CRM skills and
Awareness training and error management adequately defined and is therefore not most likely result in undiscovered deficiencies
strategies. For many years, the industry observable. in a crew’s performance because the evaluator
provided guidance material that centered on does not get a realistic representation of how
the benefits of flight crewmembers’ awareness Unintended consequences of the crew conducts CRM during normal line
of CRM, often called “soft skills”. The biggest evaluating CRM operations, and thus cannot provide
benefits to teaching soft skills were changes in There has been no demonstrated safety case meaningful feedback.
attitudes, perceptions and teamwork. for improving safety by introducing jeopardy Introducing jeopardy assessment after 30
Currently, there is no governing regulatory assessment/checking of CRM. In fact some years of effective CRM training completely
documentation for error-management CRM experts within the aviation industry undermines the fundamental principles of fifth
techniques, although IFALPA strongly believe the unintended consequences of generation CRM. The success of an effective
supports training in this area. As a result, CRM evaluating CRM could actually reduce current fifth generation CRM program that focuses on
courses among airlines vary widely, some safety margins. IFALPA agrees in its published Threat and Error management requires the
teaching awareness training while others teach IFALPA Policy on CRM, which states in formal understanding that errors will occur
threat and error management. IFALPA Annex 6 Part I paragraph 9.4.4: and companies adopt a non-punitive approach
to error. Introducing assessment/checking of
Subjective evaluation criteria “IFALPA believes that to introduce jeopardy CRM skills would introduce the possibility of
IFALPA stands firmly against any CRM assessment or checking of CRM at this point failure which can be perceived by many pilots
evaluations for flight crewmembers individu- would fundamentally change the facilitator / as punitive.
ally or as a crew in any jeopardy event, instructor and flight crew relationship and Since effective CRM must be embedded
especially utilizing only subjective criteria. potentially block or reverse the many benefits to within the safety culture of the airline, and
Little, if any, qualitative evaluation criteria exist be gained from CRM training, including the needs to be practiced and accepted at all levels
for CRM. There is no universally accepted possibility of having a negative impact on safety. of the organization to positively affect
methodology for identifying unsatisfactory Jeopardy assessment or checking CRM may operational safety, it is difficult to
pilot CRM performance. Regulators have result in crews producing acceptable CRM independently assess/check only one single
allowed operators with different corporate behaviour in the simulator but have little real element (in this case the pilots) of the entire
cultures much flexibility in introducing CRM impact on the safety culture of the airline.” system on company culture skills that involve
training, resulting in a wide spectrum of multiple people across the entire company
quality, quantity and effectiveness of CRM For CRM training to genuinely impact the culture. To evaluate only one aspect of the
training across the industry. safety culture in aviation, CRM must be company CRM system would do little to
Vague terms such as “Captaincy,” wholeheartedly embraced by the pilots without increase the safety of the entire system.
“Airmanship,” “Followership,” and “Synergy” the threat of any punitive action. To this end Further complicating the issue is that
lack any formal or recognized definition within IFALPA supports open feedback and evaluation would be based mostly on
the CRM concept. These worthwhile attributes discussion between facilitator / instructor and subjective evaluation criteria that has already
are presently beyond the ability of any expert flight crew on CRM topics. This feedback proven very difficult to train and calibrate
to evaluate objectively, much less a check should however be non-numerical (e.g., instructors/evaluators.
airman unskilled in the meaning of these “Enhanced – Standard – Detracted) and focus Just because crews can demonstrate
terms. Specifically, evaluation of the effective- on reinforcing good skills and discussing areas effective crew coordination while being
ness of non-technical training skills is very of improvement. IFALPA recognises that a assessed under jeopardy conditions does not
subjective and extremely variable. There is no high level of trust and openess must be present guarantee they will actually practice these
universally accepted definition of the CRM for such discussions to be effective. concepts during normal line operations.
concept or category of CRM terms within the Besides IFALPA, individual pilots are also Industry studies show that line audits, where
air carrier industry. IFALPA is concerned concerned about the sour implication of crews are observed under non-jeopardy
because flight crew CRM evaluators lack “evaluating” CRM skills. Evaluations can lead conditions, provide more useful data
adequate standards and guidance material. to a mistrust of the program, especially if the (Helmreich, Merritt, & Wilhelm, (1999)). Data
CRM evaluation exposes a crewmember’s evaluation of these skills is done in an arbitrary from such audits show that changes in pilot
certificate and career to unsubstantiated and capricious manner. If we evaluated CRM behaviour result from CRM training that
jeopardy when no objective industry today, it would be done in an “opinion-ori- includes LOFT and recurrent training
definitions or standards of CRM skills exist. In ented” fashion which could lead to evaluation (Helmreich & Foushee, 1993), which is
one case, an air carrier has terminated pilots controversies and mistrust of the system by the consistent with participant feedback.

Issue 1 | 2017 InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA

 the pilot’s perspective on crm assessment 17

Summary demonstrated safety benefits, industry and all hydraulics in 1989 or more recently the
IFALPA supports CRM as a training program regulators should instead focus their efforts on USAir 1549 landing in the Hudson River.
and as an adjunct to traditional technical producing industry guidance on how to More important to overall industry safety is the
training programs. IFALPA recognises the properly train CRM and measure the effective- fact that nearly a half million pilots successfully
substantial benefits arising from training of ness of CRM across the entire culture within use their CRM skills day-in and day-out to
non-technical skills and supports the the airline. This would include developing safely complete nearly 100,000 daily flights
continued instruction and reinforcement of training guidance on how to effectively teach without ever having had jeopardy assessment
CRM on a regular basis. CRM can improve error management skills, specific error of their CRM skills.
the proficiency and competency of individual prevention techniques, integrate CRM training
pilots and flight crews as a whole, especially into scenario-based training, integrate flight
when it is implemented as an error management skills with technical skills, help
management strategy and is not checked/ pilots develop decision-making skills, and train
assessed by any method that could result in a pilots how to properly manage resources in
failure. today’s complex airplane/airspace system.
Instead of jeopardizing the safety record of an
already successful CRM program by introduc- Pilot CRM skills have been used in many
ing checking of CRM skills which has no high-profile “saves” such as the UAL 232 loss of

REFERENCES
• Helmreich, R. L. (1997). Managing human error in aviation. Scientific American, pp. 62-67.
• Helmreich, R.L., Merritt, A.C., & Wilhelm, J.A. (1999). The evolution of Crew Resource Management training in commercial
aviation. International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 9(1), pp.19-32.
• Helmreich, R. L., & Foushee, H. C. (1993). Why Crew Resource Management? Empirical and theoretical bases of human factors
training in aviation. In E. Wiener, B. Kanki, & R. Helmreich (Eds.), Cockpit Resource Management pp. 3-45. San Diego, CA:
Academic Press.

InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA Issue 1 | 2017

#IFALPA2017YUL 5-8 MAY 2017

conference.ifalpa.org
Conference Registration Begins
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conference.ifalpa.org
 Voice of the Regions
Captain Brian Shury
is vice president of alpa canada
w hat does IFALPA mean to
you personally?
ily playing a critical role in securing, enhancing
and bringing our Profession together around
the world. My experiences on the Legal
IFALPA means many things to me Committee and the Professional &
and IFALPA director for Canada. Government Affairs Committee demonstrate
personally on a number of levels. On a
He also sits on the Nav Canada professional level it provides the world’s pilots to me that we have much more work to do with
an organized meeting place where we can respect to Government and Industry affairs.
Advisory Committee represent- There are many threats facing our profession in
come together and speak with one voice. It is
ing Professional Pilot Groups. always improving and we need to include the form of rapidly changing business models,
many other professional pilot voices, but we ill-conceived air liberalization policies and an
Captain Shury resides with his inability to compete against an entire region
are tracking in the right direction. I think
wife and two daughters near sometimes many of us lose sight of how whose carriers benefit from dramatic and
critically important it is to create and grow unfair subsidies. It is IFALPA that provides us
Peterborough, Ontario. as pilots that common meeting place where we
institutions like IFALPA that allow us all to
come together and act together. can respectfully debate and share our concerns
My involvement with IFALPA has ranged and develop strategies that will benefit all of us.
between the Legal Committee and the IFALPA is a demonstration of the belief that we
Professional and Government Affairs are all in this together as opposed to every pilot
Committee (PGA) and attending Conference for him/herself and as a result we achieve
in various capacities. IFALPA has always been optimal results both individually and as a
group.

w
very strong in all matters safety and technical
and holds the respect of ICAO, IATA, hat airport infrastructure
Government Regulators and Industry. Canada improvements have you seen
has played a strong role on the safety and in your region that have
technical side and is playing a very strong role been beneficial to safety?
in the “Pilot Assistance” realm as well. ALPA
Canada has developed first class pilot Probably the most significant improvement
assistance programs that are now being has been in the area of deice facilities in
adopted around the world. Canada and the United States. The facilities
To me IFALPA is increasingly and necessar- have improved significantly as well as deice
fluid, application methods and technology.

Issue 1 | 2017 InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA

 “ I think sometimes many of us
lose sight of how critically
important it is to create and
grow institutions like IFALPA

”
that allow us all to come
together and act together.

In Canada many of these improvements have large distances to alternates and challenging There are 55 differences on weather
their origins in the Moshansky Inquiry which weather but still suffer from a lack of precision services. In some cases, Canada attempts to
made a number of key recommendations approaches. Many of our northern airports are meet a SARP in a different way but in others
stemming from an accident in 1988 involving built on very challenging terrain, making they just do not comply. Again, this makes it
an Air Ontario Fokker F-28. extending runway length and/or incorporation difficult for visiting pilots who may expect
Another significant improvement in of Runway End Safety Area (RESA) a very certain services to be available. Some services
aviation infrastructure has been the establish- expensive if not a technically impossible that are available at international airports in
ment of many LNAV and LPV approaches that proposition. Canada are not available at a much larger

H
has increased reliable access to many airports ow might harmonization number of non-international airports
around the country especially in some of our with ICAO standards improve particularly in the north.
more remote regions. the situation REGARDING Phraseology and procedural differences in
A key infrastructure improvement that is terrain, unusual weather air traffic control can pose significant
coming soon is the deployment of space based phenomena, and air traffic challenges to visiting pilots. For example, when
control difficulties?
ADS-B which will result in radar coverage in following controller altitude instructions on
the vast Canadian Arctic regions and the Canada has filed several differences with STAR procedures, there is a difference between
North Atlantic and ultimately the entire planet. ICAO SARPs (see GEN 1.7 of Canada’s AIP Canada and the US as to whether or not pilots
This is being done by Aireon, a company that http://www.navcanada.ca/EN/products-and- must continue to adhere to the chart altitudes.
is jointly owned by Nav Canada (the not for services/Documents/AIP/Current/part_1_ Although this difference will be eliminated in
profit Company that administers our ATS gen/1gen_eng_1.pdf . Some differences are due 2017, it illustrates that differences from ICAO
system) Iridium and other partners. The first to unique challenges, such as our remote exist and cause inconsistencies and potential
satellites are scheduled to be launched by the northern regions, where Canada either tries to safety issues.
time this issue of InterPilot goes to press. comply but does not quite get there or they do
not comply at all. For example, Canada

C an you discuss some hazards

that are unique to your
region?
currently is non-compliant with ICAO
Standards and Recommended Practices
(SARPs) in Annex 4 Chapter 5, Annex 6 Part I Would you like to be featured in
Canada is no different than many other Chapter 6 and Annex 15 Chapter 10 regarding Voice of the Regions?
countries in terms of geographical, terrain avoidance and although recent Do you have any suggestions
meteorological and other hazards and at this amendments to our regulations will require regarding this series?
time of the year the winter weather extremes GPWS and other equipment in some smaller
aircraft, several types will continue to be
Please do let us know.
are a reality of operating in Canada. With most
of our population located within 200 miles of non-compliant. Also, Canada has implemented Email [email protected]
our southern border, many of the airports in terrain charting standards differently, making
our vast, sparsely settled northern region have it potentially difficult for visiting pilots to find
or interpret the information.

InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA Issue 1 | 2017

 The International Federation of Air Line Pilot’s Associations represents over 100,000
pilots and flight engineers in almost 100 countries.
The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA)
The mission
represents of IFALPA
more is to bepilots
than 100,000 the global voiceengineers
and flight of professional pilots
in nearly 100by countries
providing
representation, services and support in order to promote the highest
level of aviation safety worldwide.
The mission of IFALPA is to promote the highest level of aviation safety worldwide and
Contact
to be the global advocate of the us at IFALPA
piloting headquarters
profession; providing representation, services
and support to both our members and the aviation industry
485 McGill Street, Suite 700
Montreal, Quebec
H2Y 2H4 Canada
www.ifalpa.org
Tel: +1 514 419 1191 [email protected]
Issue 1 | 2017
www.ifalpa.org
InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA