The aim of this study was to provide information to the flying
community concerning those common errors they perceived to be most
detrimental to flight safety. The ATSB sent the 'Aviation Industry
Safety Survey' to 5000 commercial pilots throughout Australia in
November 2003. The survey asked pilots about their safety
experiences during the previous year and to report the most serious
error they made or saw during that time. They were also asked to
describe briefly what they thought were the main factors
contributing to the error and how the situation was recovered.
Demographic information concerning pilot age, highest licence
qualification held, and type of aircraft flown (rotary or fixed
wing) was obtained. Pilots were grouped according to the flying
category they most frequently worked in the 12 months preceding the
survey: regular public transport, charter, aerial work or private
operations. Slight differences were evident among the four flight
categories with regard to each of the demographic groups.