Abstract
The author offers a long-overdue, critical evaluation of the application of crew resource management (CRM) in aviation. Three decades ago, CRM was developed to reduce the hierarchy gradient on the flight deck. The aim was to achieve open, factual exchanges of information and thought processes in order to ensure the safe operation of flights. However, initial results from an ongoing research study the author has conducted with others have shown that most of the interviewed pilots portrayed CRM not as a fixed, integrated part of their procedures for increasing safety but rather as an add-on that ranked below carrying out their mission, safety, and standard operating procedures. In other words, either CRM has to be reshaped or the training needs to be intensified.
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Notes
- 1.
The ECAM system on board an Airbus keeps the pilots up-to-date on the status of their aircraft’s systems. First and foremost, it displays faults, checklists, and procedures.
- 2.
FORDEC is an acronym for decision making. It is the model used to structure a problem according to the following steps: F—Facts (what is the problem); O—Options (hold, divert, immediate landing etc.); R—Risks/benefits (what is the downside of each option, what is the upside); D—Decide (which option); E—Execute (carry out selected option); C—Check (did everything work/go according to plan, what else needs to be done).
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Hagen, J.U. (2018). Crew Resource Management Revisited. In: Hagen, J. (eds) How Could This Happen?. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76403-0_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76403-0_14
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