The ATSB's aviation safety survey of commercial pilots, Common
Flying Errors, has revealed that, violations of standard operating
procedures were more prevalent in general aviation and were
involved in 11.8% of all events.
The survey asked pilots to identify the main factors
contributing to errors and the defences they used to recover. Most
errors occurred en route, distantly followed by flight preparation
errors.
All categories of pilot experienced errors while executing
procedures en route, such as not completing their landing
checklist, and misprocessing information from their operational
environment, such as an unexpected decline in weather conditions.
Most identified errors involving mishandling as a concern, such as
heavy landing; misconfiguration, such as landing with the flap
setting one less than configured for; and misprocessing
navigational information, such as an incorrect GPS identifier.
The contributing factor identified by all categories of pilot as
enhancing the likelihood of error was lack of pilot experience.
Failing to complete procedures, such as not cross-checking figures,
and experiencing problems with systems equipment, such as frequency
congestion, also exacerbated errors in most categories.
Operational personnel across all flight categories indicated
that there was frequently no defence present to protect against the
error. When a defence was available, pilot skills and implementing
procedures predominantly enhanced error recovery. Very few pilot
responses indicated that a defence had been employed after the
event to reduce the potential of recurrence.
Overall:
- violation of standard operating procedures was involved in
11.8% of events; - wilfully risky activities were present in 3.2% of error
events; - in 2.1% of reported events an accident occurred;
- 9.1% of respondents were involved in a concern relating to a
mid-air collision, most of which involved no warning (unalerted
confliction 6.1%).
Some caution is required when interpreting results because
considerable amounts of data were missing. The survey conveys the
opinion of pilots and not the opinion of the ATSB. Results do not
suggest that aviation is more at risk of error than other transport
activities.