Mystified investigators stand over the wreckage of a Bombardier Dash 8 on a frigid February morning in 2009.  A deafening silence echoes through the thick charred air as a scene of wasted aluminum and debris fills the scape of what once made up Continental Connection Flight 3407. As the smell of scorched metal and fuel fills the leveled scene, investigators begin their search for clues. What could have caused this unthinkable disaster in what was widely regarded as the world’s safest airline industry? It didn’t take long. The zealous over-confidence of airline management and government officials soon gave way to the tantalizing realization that things could never be the same.

“Loss of Control on Approach”

It seems unthinkable to consider the mistakes that led to the disaster of Flight 3407. From training shortcomings at Colgan to the unconscionable level of shortcuts taken by management in the name of cutting costs, company growth always seemed to take priority over aviation safety. The scary part? This story is not new to aviation.  The factors which played into this accident are the same we see all throughout aviation, both airline and general aviation alike. The specific incidents differ from one to the next, but the outcomes usually take the same form, with the number one cause of fatal accidents from 2001-2016 being—loss of control in flight.

“Loss of Control In-Flight”

The statement greatly falls short to recognize the complex layers of flawed decision making that lead to each incident. With an estimated 3,400 fatalities as a result of aircraft related accidents from 2010 to 2017, it’s more important than ever to stay vigilant towards maintaining pilot proficiency, quality training, and ultimately safe operational decision making. This is especially true given the rising demand for aviation and its growing industry pressures. Namely, the need to train pilots is among a growing concern as fear of a pilot shortage looms. And we don’t have to look far to see the evidence. Horizon Airlines, a regional carrier for Alaska Airlines, canceled more than 300 flights in the summer of 2017 due to a lack of pilots to operate their routes. With companies like American Airlines soon to experiencing massive pilot retirements, even major airlines are being affected. American Airlines has anticipated to lose around 1,500 pilots per year, which has prompted key moves from even the aircraft manufacturers themselves to avoid the catastrophic effects on the industry effects of this. As an example, Boeing recently awarded a three-million-dollar grant to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, a top US pilot training school, to aid in the growth and continuation of its commercial pilot courses. Boeing also announced partnerships with a multitude of flight schools around the US as they move to push flight training numbers in the right direction—ensuring its customer base will have adequate airmen to staff future aircraft it builds. These profound organizational shifts illustrate a growing problem. The future of flight and aviation safety is, more-so than ever before, freighted with a plethora of new safety and regulatory concerns demanding a keen awareness of external pressures. From the people and companies that utilize aviation daily, to the government officials tasked with writing the rulebook, questions are beginning to emerge. Who is responsible for funding the high demand of airmen training to meet industry needs?  What is the immediate solution versus the long-term strategy? Where does training quality begin to suffer because of the accelerated industry movement? Can we expect more loss of control inflight incidents due to a more expeditious push for pilots? It is understood that similar pressures lead to the ultimate demise of Flight 3407. So when is the next industry shaking catastrophe, and how will we prevent it?

Pushing Limits

In 2009, Colgan Air was a thriving regional carrier.  With newly awarded contracts and fleet additions quickly expanding the company’s route network, many would agree Colgan was “winning” at the regional airline game.  From the outside no one could see the problems nestled deep within the airline’s problematic safety culture.  One small decision at a time, management tightened its grip, slowly stripping away every-last safety buffer the company had. Colgan had a priority. An unquestioning push for—at all cost—rapid growth. With a growing need to staff the cockpits from their unprecedented growth, the airline had to get creative. The quality of their hiring and training began to degrade. With the company’s overly-ambitious goals came sacrifice, minimal flight crew rest periods, minimal pilot training, low pay, new operational bases for which the airline was inadequately staffed, premature promotions to relatively inexperienced new hire pilots… the list goes on and on.  Like a college student pulling all-nighters for days on end, the onslaught of continuous shortcuts and compromises eventually caught up.  The flight decks cockpit voice recorder of Colgan Flight 3407, after seconds of desperate passenger screams, went silent… Minutes ticked by as Buffalo Approach air traffic controllers queried the aircraft as the inevitable realization set in. Continental Connection Flight 3407 had crashed, coming to rest in a small housing community killing everyone on board and one person on the ground. The cause? An aerodynamic stall—a type of situation extensively taught in early pilot training.

An Important connection

Aviation is tough.  It’s the type of business where significant operational costs and safety considerations pressure even the most experienced professionals. This blog post aims to shed light on the connection that exists between every pilot and the scene of every accident: external pressure. As aviators, we cannot always control the macro scope of our industry’s problems. We cannot change the fact that there is a pilot shortage. We cannot change the underqualified pilots who may enter each flight deck or maybe even the poorly trained pilot—hired by a desperate airline striving to meet hiring quotas. Nevertheless, we can control the single most important thing: the decisions we make before and during each flight. This is where Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) takes center stage. From the Cessna 172 pilot looking to go to Catalina for the weekend to the airline captain departing for Amsterdam, every flight operation requires parallel steps in decision making and, moreover, equal consideration for external pressures.  The Cessna pilot still must work to pay for aircraft upkeep, he or she must keep themselves current with their flight experience, ensure that each flight has been adequately planned for, ensure sufficient fuel, plan for airspace requirements, anticipate inflight problems, calculate weight and balance, performance, consider weather, runway lengths, and ensure adequate time to reach appointments on-time. It’s all the same from general aviation to the airlines. The key takeaway here is that there is a multi-level risk assessment factor that every pilot must think about before every departure.  As we dawn on this new era of aviation and our industry’s challenges, it is ever more critical that we assess every type of pressure, continue to grow, better ourselves as aviators. If not for you, for your passengers, family, and in the memory of those lost through accidents like Flight 3407. Humans were not born with wings. Each time we take flight is a lesson, teaching us invaluable skills used to make us smarter and more conscious pilots. Regardless of the goal, we need to remember that keeping safety number one is always the most important mission objective.

A Resolution: Finding the Balance

Colgan Air was a wake-up call for everyone. Following this incident, aviation regulations changed to require more strict duty rest periods for crews, more regulatory protocols to ensure quality flight training, even requirements for higher flight times for pilots to be hired into airlines. For Flight 3407, our industry and its regulations came too late.  With the outside influences and the “it will be fine” mentality, 50 people lost their lives. It is a sobering reminder that there is a balance that exists in aviation. A delicate equilibrium composed of mission objectives juxtaposed to safety. Before your next departure, think about Colgan 3407. Consider just how many people, pilots, regulators, and airline managers allowed “the ball” to slip” into the court of unsafe decision-making damaging so many lives.  The pressure is on you, the Pilot-In-Command. Avoiding the next aviation disaster starts with each member of our community having a conversation with themselves.  The “maybe I should rethink this flight” when the winds are gusting, equipment is broken, a pilot hasn’t flown in months, or are just too tired, is never a question too late to ask. The risk isn’t worth it. When we all do our part to consider external pressure and make the right choices, we as aviation professionals save lives. More importantly, we pay tribute to those we have already lost and envisage a brighter future for aviation.