flight safety magazine of air india, air india express …intranet.airindia.in/data/fsm/safe wings...

SAFE WINGS

This issue…

GET THERE- ITIS or GET-HOME-ITIS

PILOTS SELF RISK ASSESSMENT

* For In

ternal C

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Flight Safety Magazine of Air India, Air India Express and Alliance Air Issue 57, FEBRUARY 2017

F l i g h t S a f e t y M a g a z i n e o f A i r I n d i a , A i r I n d i a E x p r e s s a n d A l l i a n c e A i r

SAFE WINGS February Edition 57

1 | P a g e

EDITORIAL

Although the Regulations provide for a minimum amount of rest prior to a flight, there

is no one to monitor what the pilot is doing during the rest period. Is s/he actually

resting? In some countries and increasing so in India, a pilot’s flight may commence

from an airport where s/he is not based. In such cases it is tempting for them to make

maximum use of their time off at their home base and reach the operating base as late

as possible for the flight. It is not always possible to monitor all such cases and it is

usually left to the individual concerned. In this issue we have included an article on

pilots managing Risk.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The posting of stories, reports and documents in this magazine does not in any way,

imply or necessarily express or suggest that all the information is correct. It is based

on details gathered from various sources and is for information purpose only. The

Flight Safety Department is making this material available in its efforts to advance the

understanding of safety. It is in no way responsible for any errors, omissions or

deletions in the reports.

February Edition 57 SAFE WINGS

2 | P a g e


GET THERE- ITIS

or GET-HOME-

ITIS

The Summer holidays

have just commenced

for the children and you

have planned and the

whole family is looking

forward to the long

awaited holiday to the

USA with flight bookings

done, hotel stays

confirmed and the first

destination being Disney

land. You are scheduled

for Doha Calicut flight

and after the flight you

have planned to take

the flight to Delhi the

same afternoon to catch

the night flight to New York. Unfortunately the monsoons have also

commenced in South India. When you approach Calicut, you find that the

airport is covered with CB clouds and a thunderstorm is in progress.

Nevertheless, you commence an approach and the blinding wall of water

forces you to go-around. After holding for 10 minutes you commence another

approach without much change in weather and are forced to go around

again and as Cochin is also reporting strong monsoon conditions, you divert to

Bangalore.

You have calculated that if you don’t land in Calicut within the next 2 hours

you will miss the flight to Delhi. You quickly re-fuel at Bangalore and without

confirming the weather in Calicut takeoff again for Calicut, At Calicut the

weather is more or less the same and you again carry out two go-arounds due

to the co-pilot shouting out to go-around and getting ready to take over

controls. The co-pilot is aware of your reasons for Get-home-itis and is getting

really scared and finally tells you to go-around and divert, this time quite

emphatically.

In this scenario, it is quite possible that you did not have such a confident and

bold co-pilot and you continued with the approach in unsafe conditions. Things

may have turned out differently. In case of an incident or accident, not only

would your holiday be ruined but maybe even your career. However if you play

safe, yes you may miss your connecting flight and will have to rework your plans



3 | P a g e

and maybe go a day later but you would not have put yours or your

passengers lives at risk.

We have all faced such pressures for Get-home-itis and it takes a herculean

effort to overcome it and do what is right. The pressure may not always be due

to personal or family reasons but due to upset passengers, your flight duty

period coming to an end, etc.

We have seen what sort of pressures can influence a pilot’s decision making.

How do we go about mitigating them. You have to make your own check list

but some are listed below.

1) For really important trips plan a days buffer, although it may eat into your

leave.

2) Have an alternate plan ready incase you reach late, ie backup flight

even if you have to buy a last minute full fare ticket.

3) Advise those who are waiting for you and tell them you did the wiser

thing and you will be delayed.

4) Keep your passengers advised always of the weather at destination and

that there may be delays.

5) Even on a casual day return flight carry a small overnight kit containing

toiletries and a change of clothes in case you get stranded.

6) Always be ready to accept delays. Sometimes these are beyond your

control and so don’t permit them to irritate or stress you.

Mission fixation or get-home-itis is probably the most important item in risk

management because it places time related pressure on a pilot and is one of

the causes in majority of Approach and landing accidents.

by:-Capt Vivek Kulkarni


4 | P a g e


Pilots Self Risk Assessment

afety Management System or SMS calls for Risk Assessment by identifying

the hazards and then either eliminating them or reducing the risk to an

acceptable level by mitigating strategies. We have heard of Airport Risk

Assessment or

Risk Assessment

of a special

procedure or for

cross runway

operations, etc.

However you as

the pilot may be

at risk and no

one has done a

Risk Assessment

of you the pilot.

How do we

face risks is

something we will discuss in this article.

Illness

When you are not well, in addition to dealing with the distraction of pain

and/or discomfort, even common illnesses like a cold are often self treated by

medications that can seriously affect a pilot’s ability to stay focused and clear-

headed during flight. The golden rule is if you’re not well, don’t fly.

Medication

Medicines can have a clear impact on a pilot’s

ability to perform. While some effects are obvious,

others can be deceptively subtle and may vary

according to an individual’s tolerance level.

Common amongst cold medicines and the most

unsafe for flying are sedating antihistamines,

in particular, diphenhydramine (e.g.

Benadryl). It is best to consult your

Company Doctor or Aviation

medicine specialist to know

what is safe.

S

Am I The RISK?



5 | P a g e

Stress

Even if we don't think about it, we are

under some level of stress with almost everything we do — whether

on the job, with family, or even during what’s supposed to be a relaxing

holiday. Stress can affect people differently, so it’s important to consider it in

your risk assessment. A quarrel or an argument can easily cloud your thoughts

and cause you to be distracted during flight. A more severe event, like a death

in the family requires even more attention and self-examination to assess

whether or not you’ve been able to properly come to terms with your situation

and your emotions. There are several ways to help manage stress and prevent

it from accumulating. A regular exercise programme and or yoga can be a

great stress buster . Time management can also help reduce stress by meeting

deadlines.

Alcohol

A couple of drinks maybe an effective way to relax and unwind after a tough

day but not if flying is on your agenda.. The regulations say you may not

operate an aircraft within twelve hours of having consumed alcohol. But

alcohol can have a lingering effect on the human body, and it’s best to buffer

that time and wait 24 hours before flying. Besides, everyone has a different

tolerance level and assimilation duration for alcohol. If you were really

celebrating or binge drinking then the effects may last 48 to 72 hours following

your last drink in the form of a hangover.

Fatigue

Although fatigue is rarely

the singular cause of an

accident, it is usually a

precursor to many poor

decisions . Some may feel

that lack of sleep can be

remedied with coffee or

tea, or that it is something

they can power through.


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To manage fatigue, it’s important to listen to what your body is telling you. Do

you feel uncontrollably yawning or inadvertently dozing off (micro sleep).

Fatigue can also be caused by physical exertion.

Regardless of what causes fatigue, the important thing to know is how it can

affect your performance in the cockpit and how to prevent it in the first place.

The procedure is simple: get more sleep. One gadget that is helpful in

measuring the quantity and quality of sleep, is wearing a wrist activity tracker to

bed. They are able to provide a full report of your sleep cycles, including

periods of restlessness and time awake. With this data you can better assess

your fatigue level before flight.

Eating

Eating healthy, well-balanced meals is the best way to achieve your body’s

peak performance levels. Also keep yourself well hydrated and drink plenty of

water. Dehydration can cause dizziness, confusion, and weakness.

Legalities

Are all your licences current. Is your medical valid. Have you completed all the

requisite recurrent training. Are you within the Flight Duty time limits for the flight.

It maybe a good idea to keep a checklist for all the documents you need to

carry e.g. licences, medical certificate, recurrent training card, passport,

Company ID and Airport Entry pass.

Conclusion

Flying is a risky business. Learning how to identify and mitigate the risks that you

bring to a flight is an important step towards enhancing safety. It is difficult to

assess your own risk and it is a very personal process. Honesty and self discipline

is the key.

by:-Capt Vivek Kulkarni

PROMISING A SAFER SKY, AIR INDIA, AIR INDIA EXPRESS & ALLIANCE AIR

We give utmost importance to your valuable comments and feedback. Please do mail us at

[email protected] or

[email protected]

Editorial: Capt V Kulkarni, Bhavish B S Designed by Bhavish BS

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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