Yesterday, I read a bunch of blog posts about using in-flight checklists. I found even purported CFIs and airline pilots recommending that you treat a checklist like a checklist as opposed to a "do list." Basically, they were recommending that you configure the airplane with a mnemonic flow and then go through the checklist just to make sure you did it right.I was starting to feel a little silly ... like maybe I missed the point completely when I wrote my blog post about always using your checklists. I was recommending that you remember as much as you can about the checklist but that you execute every step on the checklist in order and as you go through the list ... a "do list."
I started doing some research. I dug through about 50 aviation accidents from the last 30 years selected at random from the NTSB Accident Database. I found that a few of them were catastrophic failures or maintenance oversights that the pilot simply couldn't avoid; however, about 40 (80%) of the accidents could've been avoided by following the checklist. Some of them were airline accidents where checklists are required. One of which had the audio of the pilot confirming that anti-ice measures were off shortly before they crashed due to icing.
My point is that if you memorize the checklist or you treat it like a confirmation, you're likely to become complacent and quickly find yourself in an emergency situation. During my research, I found a really cool website that has a sample pre-flight checklist. Each item on the checklist links to an NTSB accident report that could've been avoided by checklist use. Some of the links are broken, but many of them still work. I'm planning on taking some of my in-flight checklists and doing the same thing with them.
Another thing I found during my checklist research is that physicians, psychologists, surgeons, and anesthesiologists are using checklists like "do-lists" and it is saving lives.
Have fun. Be safe. Happy Piloting.
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© 2008 — , D. Patrick Caldwell, Vice President for Research and Development, Emerald Software Group, LLC
© 2008 — , D. Patrick Caldwell, Vice President for Research and Development, Emerald Software Group, LLC
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Treating your checklist as a "do-list" is appropriate when you have loads of time or the items are crazy critical like defusing a bomb. Using a flow followed by a checklist allows you to check configurations once (flow), then confirm status with the checklist. The challenge and reply used by aircrews uses the pilot flying to configure and the pilot not flying to confirm. In single pilot operations we must play both roles.
ReplyDeleteThe key word you used is "complacent" and that is a killer. I have seen many pilots using flows, mnemonics, and check lists miss critical items. Checklists are great. We should use them, but they should not interfere with flying the plane or scanning for traffic. Checklist management is a skill the pilot must practice thoughtfully. The terminology I use for pilots that taxi with little situational awareness is that they are using their "heads down display."