The iPhone era

The day after the ATR tragedy I was fronted in the supermarket by a good friend with no aviation experience. “So, those guys shut down the wrong engine? How can that happen?” I reaffirmed that I had no idea what had happened and could see that my friend’s frozen goods would thaw out before I even began to explain the complexities of asymmetric flight.

Yet here I was in the freezer aisle on the other side of the equator being educated in flight by someone who saw something, somewhere on the internet.

Most pilots that I know who have seen the video can only empathise. It is more about the loss of a fellow pilot and a reality check that any of us are susceptible to the aligning of the stars. Or as Dr James Reason would describe, the aligning of the holes in the Swiss cheese, allowing threats to creep through into a flight operation. In this Swiss cheese model, the pilot is effectively the final filter and it is a responsibility all pilots are well aware of. Feel for the years ahead confronting the families of those on board, rather than the drama of those final seconds. Still, it is not only fatal air crashes that can increase the pressure in this era of Instagram and Twitter. Seemingly every move an airline makes is captured, posted and hung out to dry on the internet. From holiday queues in the terminal to holding patterns over the Gold Coast, the hits just keep on coming. Should an incident occur, then the gloves really come off. A simple missed approach due to an occupied runway or the prevailing weather conditions can send social media into a frenzy and this in turn spills over into mainstream media. ‘Moments from Death’ is plastered across news websites and five-second grabs for the nightly news.

In any event, the captain’s public announcement will be recorded on iPhones and ‘shared’ as soon as the wheels hit the ground, if not earlier. It is an announcement often made by a person employed for their technical skills, focusing on flight management and under a significantly increased workload. Yet if there is a word out of place, it will be highlighted by armchair flyers as they Google by the fireside.

It’s not as if pilots aren’t under enough scrutiny. There are stringent medical requirements, ongoing education and regular checks of their competency in both the simulator and the aircraft. Exam after exam until they hit retirement age, they are never far from focus. It is an accepted, if not rejoiced, aspect of the profession. It calls for hours of study long after the turbines have wound down and the need to perform under the watchful eyes of those with a clipboard in one hand and their licence in the other.

However, in the professional environment, those passing judgement have done the hard yards themselves and in turn are scrutinised. They are not some random uninformed voyeur holding up a smartphone. And what happens in the check and training environment, stays in the check and training environment and is reviewed to obtain better outcomes. There is no such noble goal in cyberspace.

So each day crews sign on for duty determined to keep their passengers safe and their aircraft unscathed. Day after day flightcrews achieve this goal from both the flightdeck and the cabin with a success rate that is only highlighted by the apparent expectation of passengers. There are those who continually choose to stand up when the seatbelt sign is still illuminated, use their phones prematurely and speak loudly over the top of the safety presentation. Deep down, I have a suspicion that these folks are among the first to complain when things don’t quite go to plan.

Pilots, aeroplanes and the systems under which they operate may not be perfect. However, having worked in the profession for a good many years, I can honestly say that it is a profession that has constantly sought out better ways of doing business; from individual pilots to governing bodies. The advances in technology, the pioneering work in human factors and safety management are just a few areas where other fields have sought to follow aviation’s lead.

Perhaps it’s now time to pause when an air tragedy flicks up on the computer screen. Respect it for what it is, refrain from speculation and fostering hearsay.

Feel for the years ahead confronting the families of those on board, rather than the drama of those final seconds.

In this instance, aviate, navigate and communicate with compassion.