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:
Non-technical skills proficiency in aviation pilots: a systematic review.
WHAT?
Systematic review examining the evidence on the non-technical skills (NTS) required by pilots, the importance of these for safe flight operations, and the methods used to assess them during selection, training and performance evaluation. The review aimed to identify which NTS are most critical and which assessment tools are supported by the literature.
WHERE?
Published in the International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace, the review synthesised international research from commercial and military aviation, including studies from the United States, Germany, Turkey, Scotland, Australia, Greece, Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom and the Philippines.
WHEN?
Published 2024.
WHY?
Although CRM training and syllabi topics are laid down in regulation, there has been no comprehensive review identifying which non-technical skills are most consistently associated with successful pilot performance and how they should be assessed. This study attempted to identify the most important aspects of NTS for pilot performance.
HOW?
Systematic review using seven scientific databases. From 2,221 records only 17 peer-reviewed studies met the inclusion criteria. These investigated pilots’ NTS, assessment methods, and relationships with operational performance and safety.
FINDINGS:
Across the 17 studies, communication emerged as the most frequently identified non-technical skill (66.7%), followed by decision-making (55.6%), situational awareness (38.9%), stress management (27.8%) and leadership (27.8%). Other recurring skills included teamwork, cooperation and problem-solving.
Communication was consistently linked to improved CRM performance, stronger safety culture and more effective threat and error management.
Decision-making was identified as one of the strongest predictors of successful pilot performance and was repeatedly prioritised during pilot selection.
Situational awareness underpinned effective monitoring, anticipation and risk management, while stress management enabled pilots to maintain sound judgement under operational pressure.
Leadership was particularly important for captains, reflecting their responsibility for workload management, coordination and decision authority.
The review also found strong support for behavioural assessment systems such as NOTECHS, which evaluates cooperation, leadership, situational awareness and decision-making through observable behaviours rather than self-report questionnaires.
Studies consistently reported that behavioural observation in simulators or assessment centres provides a more valid measure of pilot performance than personality questionnaires.
CRM training was shown to improve non-technical skills and positively influence operational performance and flight safety.
SO WHAT?
The study gathers together evidence that NTS (particularly communication, decision-making and situational awareness) are central to effective crew performance and should be deliberately developed throughout a pilot’s career.
The findings support the use of behavioural assessment tools such as NOTECHS during both pilot selection and recurrent training, rather than relying primarily on personality testing.
For Threat and Error Management (TEM), the review reinforces that strong non-technical skills enable crews to identify threats earlier, manage workload more effectively, make higher-quality decisions under pressure and maintain safer team performance.
The review supports the assertion that CRM remains one of the aviation industry’s most important interventions for reducing human error and strengthening organisational safety.
REFERENCE:
Çeken, S. (2024). Non-technical skills proficiency in aviation pilots: A systematic review. International Journal of Aviation, yAeronautics, and Aerospace, 11(3), Article 7. https://doi.org/10.58940/2374-6793.1933
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