Ten Commandments of Aviation Safety, The

Mobility Forum, Sep/Oct 2004 by Komich, J Norman

IX One Go-Around is Worth a 1000 pages of Line Pilot Reports: As pilots, we are driven to successfully complete the job. Psychologists have concluded that some pilots can actually incur a sense of failure if they have to go around. One major airline was emphatic that no pilot should ever be allowed to crash the simulator because they were concerned over the reaction the pilot might experience from not successfully completing the flight. Ironically, from a safety perspective, as pilots, we should have the mind set that going around is the desired course of action unless all required circumstances allow us to land.

X Confidence is the Feeling You Have Just Before You Learn ALL the Facts of the Situation: It is a given that flying is a calculated risk and as flight-crew members, we require a certain level of confidence every time we fly. The dilemma is in answering the following question: "When does confidence end and arrogance begin?" Answer that question and you'll be a millionaire. We all have different "thresholds" of risk tolerance; what one considers "a piece of cake," another will find "risky." The issue here is having a minimum threshold of risk "boundary" that you never exceed. It can come from the aircraft manual, flight ops manual, or the knot in your stomach that leads to having the seat cushion surgically removed. Know that boundary and never exceed it.

by J. Norman Komich, Lt Col (retired)