The Development of Crew Resource Management

For my blog I am going to talk about the introduction of Crew Resource Management (CRM) and what led to its development.  First, it must be noted that CRM did not emerge from a singular accident but was influenced by a series of accidents and incidents.  CRM was created in response to the realization that many aviation accidents were either caused or exacerbated by the human factor of communication.  During these critical times when an emergency happened there was a lack of communication between the pilots and flight engineers, poor decision making, and ultimately led to an inefficient team and flight deck.

            As mentioned, multiple accidents led to the development of CRM but one notable one was the Tenerife Airport Disaster in 1977.  This disaster was caused by two Boeing 747 colliding on the runway and killing more than 580 people.  The weather this day was foggy and air traffic was very busy and all communications were through just the pilot.  The miscommunication between flight crews of aircraft and air traffic controllers lead to a terrible decision making in the cockpit (The Co-pilot Who Survived the Tenerife Aircraft Disaster, 2016). This incident and many others underscored the need for improved crew communication and coordination in everyday scenarios.


            At this time CRM was being researched in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the 1970’s.  In coordination with the University of Texas, Dr. John Lauber created Crew Resource Management and started implementing it into NASA training for astronauts to enhance teamwork and communication (Wilcox, 2011).  Fast forward to the modern day, CRM is a standard part of pilot training and re-occurring training programs.  It has also expanded beyond the flight crew to include cabin crews and ground handling team members.  CRM has proven to be an essential element in enhancing safety by promoting effective communication, decision making, and teamwork in the aviation environment.


Reference:

The co-pilot who survived the Tenerife aircraft disaster. (2016, March 2). [Video]. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/magazine-35695521

Wilcox, K. (2011, May 11). Crew resource Management Improves decision making | APPEL Knowledge Services. https://appel.nasa.gov/2011/05/11/crew-resource-management-improves-decision-making/

Comments

  1. Christopher BeltranJanuary 13, 2024 at 8:24 PM

    Greetings Ian,

    I enjoyed your blog discussion post in which you talked about the importance and revolution of Crew Resource Management (CRM).

    To begin with, I wanted to discuss why I agree with you on how this topic is critical in today's aviation industry. CRM was developed to address communication-related human factors contributing to aviation accidents, including inadequate communication during emergencies, improved decision-making, and mitigate inefficiencies in team coordination for flight operations (SKYbrary, 2023).

    In addition, researching more on this subject, I found that over 70% of aviation crashes are caused by human error, making CRM training necessary for crew members to standardize effective communication and ensure safe and efficient air travel. Organizations like ICAO offer training programs covering human performance that can significantly reduce the risk of accidents caused by human error, ensuring the safety of crew and flight operations for the aviation industry (American Psychological Association, 2014).

    Lastly, as you have clarified, I agree with you that the importance of CRM and its role is vital to preventing accidents and ensuring successful operations of handling emergencies by implementing training focusing on relevant CRM techniques and standard procedures essential to long-term safety and flight operations (SKYbrary, 2023).


    Overall, it was a great blog post discussion that you brought up to the class, and I look forward to your future ones!


    - Christopher Beltran

    References:
    American Psychological Association. (2014). Safer air travel through crew resource management. APA.org. https://www.apa.org/topics/safety-design/safer-air-travel-crew-resource-management

    SKYbrary. (2023, January 15). Crew Resource Management (CRM). SKYbrary Aviation Safety. https://skybrary.aero/articles/crew-resource-management-crm

    ReplyDelete

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