I bring you a weekly bite-sized chunk of the science behind helicopter human factors and CRM in practice, simplifying the complex and distilling a helicopter related study into a summary of less than 500 words.
TITLE:
Is It All about the Mission? Comparing Non-technical Skills across Offshore Transport and Search and Rescue Helicopter Pilots.
WHAT?
Study comparing the use of non-technical skills (NTS) between two operational groups, (offshore and SAR pilots).
WHEN?
Published 2020 in International Journal of Aerospace Psychology.
WHERE?
Aberdeen, UK. Sample of 16 offshore and 12 SAR pilots.
WHY?
To examine and compare non-technical skills between pilot groups from different flying domains to inform development of tailored NTS behavioural marker schemes.
HOW?
Interviews were conducted using the critical incident technique where participants are asked to recall a past adverse incident that had occurred during flight encompassing any event which resulted in a near miss, error, accident, or injury. Further questions were asked to discover the tacit knowledge and skills used to manage the situation, as well as about pilots’ usual actions and behaviours when preparing to fly, during flight, and immediately after flight. Answers were systematically coded into themes and these themes compared.
FINDINGS:
- Nuances in elements of NTS varied for both groups as a function of their role.
- A significant collection of themes reported by SAR pilots did not fit in with any pre-defined NTS, so an additional category was identified for SAR called Cognitive Readiness (CR).
- NTS varied between the two groups in key areas such as decision-making and risk management, with offshore pilots reporting a more procedurally dominated, pre-planned skillset, and SAR pilots describing more dynamic and flexible application of the same skills during flight.
- CR emerged as a key difference between the skill sets of SAR and offshore pilots encompassing a reported range of behaviours focusing on quick response to dynamic and changing scenarios. SAR pilots often stressed the importance of readiness postures and quick reactions to potential tasks. In addition to preparedness, the dynamic nature of SAR incidents meant that pilots frequently utilised adaptability to complete their objectives.
SO WHAT?
- The results indicate that core NTS categories found in fixed wing aviation are also found in helicopter ops. However, the NTS elements in each category varied according to the flight mission, and associated task and contextual factors.
- This study highlighted the potential impact of mission type on NTS usage and suggests that enriched NTS taxonomies could be developed for different flight contexts, improving training programs by accommodating specific task and contextual elements.
- It highlighted the potential importance of cognitive readiness concepts for emergency rescue pilots. Previously, CR was considered an important behavioural component of military operations and is generally described as encapsulating the skills and knowledge required by teams to function effectively in dynamic and high-risk environment.
- The findings point to value in furthering mission-specific error mitigation strategies by helicopter operators and role-tailored helicopter pilot training programs.
REFERENCE:
Hamlet, O. E. D., Irwin, A., & McGregor, M. (2020). Is It All about the Mission? Comparing Non-technical Skills across Offshore Transport and Search and Rescue Helicopter Pilots. The International Journal of Aerospace Psychology, 30(3–4), 215–235. https://doi.org/10.1080/24721840.2020.1803746
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