NCSA Safety Seminar Complacency… The Accident Lurking Within Us Richard Pearl, CFIG February 23, 2008

Complacency: A Feeling of Unwarranted Well-Being Alfred E. Newman (Mad Magazine): ”What, Me Worry?” You Should!, Yes!

ACCIDENTS: “There are no new causes of aircraft accidents … just new people making the same mistakes”

Bruno Gantenbrink Addressing Soaring (and Flying) Bruno Gantenbrink “Freedom of Flight” Organizational Aspects to Accomplish Instructional Process Total = 95%? SafetySafety

Article: “Safety Comes First” Bruno Gantenbrink “Gliding in not intrinsically dangerous. It is the way it is practiced that makes it so.” dumbest, most ignorant saying that has found a home in our sport.”“The sentence, ‘The most dangerous part of gliding is the trip to the airport’ is the dumbest, most ignorant saying that has found a home in our sport.” Most of the accidents/incidents/events we can identify with appear to have a cause rooted in complacency

DEFINITIONS ACCIDENT (NTSB) –Accident – “An occurrence…in which any person suffers death or serious injury, or in which the aircraft receives substantial damage.” Substantial damage relates to damage which adversely affects structural strength, performance, or flight characteristics, and would normally require major repairs or replacement of the affected component. INCIDENT (NTSB) –Incident – “An occurrence other than an accident which affects or could affect the safety of operations.” EVENT (Unreported) –Events, which falls outside the above definitions, are not reported, but entail minor equipment bending or “but for the grace of God” situations that could have resulted in an accident or incident.

Event – Accident Pyramid Aircraft Incident Aircraft Accident Hazardous Condition Unreported “Events” ,000

Accidents – Root Causes System errors or malfunctions – – 5% of all aircraft accidents Human Errors – – 95% Check List / Distractions Proficiency / Currency Complacency

COMPLACENCY: Based on Past Success Encourages taking things for Granted Affects those with the Greatest Experience –Belief in one’s own “press releases” –Successful Repetition –“Safety After Solo”

(SSA) 2005 ACCIDENT REPORT

NTSB GLIDER ACCIDENT REPORTS – 2006 & 2007 Nationwide –71 ACCIDENTS – 7 FATALITIES CA / NV –24 Accidents (24%)

2007 Western Accidents

Accident Table Revelations? Competency and Proficiency? not –Most of accidents not the factor Checklist / Distractions? not –Most of the accidents not the factor Complacency!!! –Most accidents are comprised of a chain of events … the “complacency” evidence appears incontrovertible

Components of COMPLACENCY Overconfidence Invulnerability Preoccupation Distractions Accepting Lower Standards –Reduced Proficiency –Satisfied with status quo, i.e., “Good Enough!?”

COMPLACENCY COUNTERMEASURES Understanding root causes of Complacency Planning Ahead – (Wayne Gretzky: “I skate where the puck will be, not where it’s been.” –Or more appropriately; “Think ahead of the aircraft” Check Lists – “DO” lists; Verbalization Face Reality as it is … not as you hope it will be?!

“In any case, if you have a risk conscious safety strategy, that is a much more successful method of surviving this sport than to simply hope that you have more luck than your friend who takes a hit.” Bruno Gantenbrink “ Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” George Santayana