Page 17 - May 2019

Feature Story

off, killing everyone on board. issues associated with hierarchy.
Finally, the halo bias can Secondly, more research is necessary
also affect first officers, who to better understand and deal with these
sometimes see the captain as complex phenomena. In the medium to
all-knowing and infallible. They are long term, this should allow us to come
less inclined to challenge the captains up with innovative solutions to these
and more likely to bow to their decisions problems.
(conformity bias), which can have a Above all, it is vital to develop
negative effect on safety. procedures that would allow:
• Optimal communication between
What next? pilots. It can be adversely affected
in cockpit by the hierarchical power imbalance.
organisation So why not simply abolish hierarchy • First-officer assertiveness. Problems
since that time, it is among pilots? There are sound reasons arise when they are passive or when
unlikely that a new study not to. First of all, the hierarchical their work has been undermined or
would produce such worrying results. structure has demonstrated, time and neglected.
However, it demonstrates that under again, its effectiveness in cases of This is particularly relevant as the
certain conditions first officers can feel emergency. Take, for example, the boom in air traffic has led passengers
less engaged, responsible or legitimate January 2009 landing of US Airways to fly with airlines from countries where
than the captain, and fail to react flight 1549 on the Hudson River, or the the culture of hierarchy is strong and
appropriately. management of 55 failures brought on therefore the risks higher. Furthermore,
An overly authoritarian captain can by the explosion of an engine on Qantas
severely exacerbate this tendency flight 32 in November 2010. Moreover, societies are evolving and the aviation
industry is opening up to previously
and even paralyse the first officers a lack of hierarchy can prove just as excluded groups such as women and
to the point that they become mere disastrous, as it was for the two first
bystanders. This occurred during the officers at the controls of the Rio-Paris people from lower casts, which may
crash of Korean Air cargo flight 8509. flight. in some cases heighten problems
The captain, a domineering former Eliminating pilot hierarchy is linked to hierarchy. A detailed study
military pilot, made a catastrophic error. therefore not an appropriate solution. of the impact of social factors on the
The first officer noticed but did nothing Instead, it would be more effective to way crews operate would be a boon to
for fear of reprisal. The aircraft hit the focus on pilot training. The first priority aviation safety.
ground less than 60 seconds after take- is to better educate pilots about the Courtesy The Conversation

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