Research Paper on "Crew Resource Management"

Research Paper 12 pages (3336 words) Sources: 8

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Crew Resource Management

Over the last several years, the issue of crew resource management (CRM) has been increasingly brought to the forefront. This is because both the military and civilian aviation sectors must maintain high track records of safety. The problem is that there were differences of opinions in how to do this and the specific tools that must be utilized. What happened is the civilian sector was often dependent upon: models and techniques that were developed by the military. ("Aviation Crew Resource Management," 2012)

After World War II, this was the most dominant approach that was utilized. For the most part, the authority rested with the captain of the flight crew and the decisions they made. This created an atmosphere where everyone was compliant to them and never questioned their authority. Then, in 1970s and early 1980s, a series of incidents led to the questioning of this model and the tactics that were utilized. Evidence of this can be seen below which is showing a series of incidents and the causes for them. ("Aviation Crew Resource Management," 2012)

1972: Eastern Airlines flight 401 descended into the Florida Everglades without the crew noticing what was happening. This is because the captain and other crew members were focused on landing light indicator (after the autopilot became disengaged).

1978: United flight 171 ran out of fuel over Portland. Nobody noticed what was happening until the plane was rapidly descending (prior to crashing).

1982: Air Florida crashed into the Potomac River after taking off from Washington National Airport. The causes of the crash were from an inexperienced flight crew not communicating and ignoring standard operating procedures.

1985: Delta Airlines flight 191 crashed on approach to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport after it was caught in unreported wind shear. ("Aviation Crew Resource Management," 2012) ("Army Aviation Accident," 1999)

These events set the stage for a change in safety procedures and the kind of approach that was utilized. As a result, both the military and civilian sectors have undergone major transformations in how this is taking place. To fully understand these transformations, there will be a focus on a number of practices that are used in commercial and U.S. Army aviation. Once this takes place, is the point that these transformations will have an impact on how CRM practices are utilized. ("Aviation Crew Resource Management," 2012)

CRM Practices for Civilian Aviation

The first attempt to change the kind of approach that was used by aviators inside the cockpit (for the commercial sector) occurred in 1981. This is when United Airlines introduced a program that was designed to reduce the number of accidents and improve coordination (this is based upon the Managerial Grid model). At the heart of this approach, was to have everyone go through a series of intense workshops that identify how: someone reacts to critical situations and the managerial style they are using. Moreover, there was an emphasis on psychological principles and effective leadership tactics. This established a new kind of model for improving collaboration among the flight crew. (Helmreich, 1999, pp. 19 -- 32) (Hunter, 2010)

Then, in 1986 NASA conducted their own workshop on safety. They were concerned about how these new CRM models were being implemented in pilot training. At the same time, a new generation of CRM courses was quickly emerging inside the sector. This led to the development of a number of different practices the most notable include: improving air crew coordination, communication and objectives. The combination of these factors increased collaboration among personnel. (Helmreich, 1999, pp. 19 -- 32) (Hunter, 2010)

Improving air crew coordination requires focusing on a number of different principles to include:

Maintaining situational awareness: All crew members must be prepared for unexpected challenges during the course of the flight and troubleshoot these issues.

Mission changes and updates: In the event that there are any kinds of changes in the flight schedule, everyone must let the other members of flight crew immediately know.

Provide assistance: At any point, if there is any kind of confusion the captain and other members must be prepared to intervene. The way that this will be accomplished is through cross monitoring the activities of the other individuals. ("Air Crew Training Manual," 2007) (Kanki, 2010)

Increasing communication is concentrating on specific tactics that will help crew members to talk about any kind of problems and possible solutions for them. The way that is achieved is through having a common terminology and effective contact with others. This will reduce incidents that are contributing to pilot error by avoiding key challenges. ("Air Crew Training Manual," 2007) (Salas, 2010)

In the case of objectives, there are number of different areas that are focused on. These most notable include:

Establishing and maintaining strong relationships: This is when everyone must feel free to discuss any kind of ideas they may have about the flight and safety.

Supporting efficient workloads: In this process there is an emphasis on distributing workloads in a way that will improve the ability to interact with each other and troubleshoot potential challenges.

The effective exchange of information: This occurs with the captain establishing levels of crew and mission communication. The way that this is taking place is through effective patterns and techniques (which are allowing for the free flow of ideas). ("Air Crew Training Manual," 2007)

The combination of these factors are showing how there was a transformation in CRM practices throughout the 1980s. As a result, this created a foundation of specific procedures that will improve communication and safety. Once this occurred, is when there was transformation in the kind of approach that was used by flight crews (when addressing a host of issues). (Helmreich, 1999, pp. 19 -- 32)

In the 1990s, these changes were taken one step further. This occurred with a focus on aviation systems and the way that the flight crew will interact with these practices (i.e. The operating environment and safety). This caused the training modules to adapt with these new changes. (Helmreich, 1999, pp. 19 -- 32)

At the same time, the FAA began to focus on improving training and safety with the introduction of a new initiative called the Advanced Qualification Program (ACP). This allows commercial carriers to develop models that fit the specific needs of the airline. However, in exchange for these increased amounts of flexibility, carriers were forced to adapt CRM and ACP practices as a part of their stand operating procedures. The combination of these factors created a situation where flight crews were focused on utilizing CRM techniques. Over the course of time, this resulted in a transformation as to how the civilian sector was able to address a host of challenges. When this happened, there were greater amounts of communication and collaboration during the process. (Helmreich, 1999, pp. 19 -- 32)

The impact of these polices is that minority of accidents were caused by CRM failures. Evidence of this can be seen in the below table that was provided by Kanki (2010).

Total Number of Civilian Accidents in the Commercial Aviation Industry

Category

Mishaps

CRM Failure

Commercial

1,020

10.7%

General

23

14.0%

Total

1,184

24.7%

(Kanki, 2010, pg. 445)

These figures are showing how the total number of CRM related incidents are dramatically reduced from the new standards that are utilized inside the commercial aviation industry. As a result, this has improved safety standards and the ability of carriers to concentrate on other factors (surrounding the causes of accidents). (Kanki, 2010, pp. 440-452)

US Army Aviation CRM Practices and Policies

The transformations inside the civilian sector led shifts that were occurring in U.S. Army practices. This is because, it was realized that some kind of changes needed to take place in order to improve safety and operational performance. As a result, throughout the 1990s into the early 2000s there was a shift in the focus of military personnel. (Kanki, 2010, pp. 452-460) (Sangsland, 2001, pp. 2 -16)

At the heart of these changes, was an increased focus on improving training. The problem is that implementing these practices was difficult for the U.S. Army. The reason why is because of a number of factors that were having an impact on the ability of flight crews effectively coordinate with each other. These include: the continuous transfer of key personnel in / out of different units, it is not a homogenous organization, the complexity of missions and there are a series of occupations / specialties. The combination of these factors means that the Army is facing unique challenges when it comes to CRM practices. (Kanki, 2010, pp. 452-460) ("Air Crew Training Manual," 2007)

In response to these challenges, the Army introduced a program called Air Crew Coordination Training (ACT). During this process, there was a focus on improving communication and collaboration between crew members. The results were that this had an impact on how aviators are working with each other. This allowed the Army to become the first branch of the U.S. military to implement these kinds of changes on a large… READ MORE

How to Reference "Crew Resource Management" Research Paper in a Bibliography

Related Research Papers:

Simulation in Cabin Crew Training Term Paper

Cabin Crew Training Programs

Aviation has changed in massive ways in the last few decades. When commercial flying first debuted to the public, the pilot was considered "king" of the… read more

Term Paper 12 pages (3726 words) Sources: 5 Topic: Transportation / Mass Transit

---

Effects of Aviation Resource Management Survey Inspections on Army Aviation Accident Rates Thesis

Aviation Resource Management Survey Inspections on Army Aviation Accident Rates

G.W.L. BURNSIDE II

Worldwide Campus

Ramstein Germany Center

THE EFFECTS of AVIATION RESOURCE Management SURVEY INSPECTIONS on ARMY AVIATION ACCIDENT… read more

Thesis 18 pages (5220 words) Sources: 0 Topic: Transportation / Mass Transit

---

Workings of Forest Fire Management Systems and Urban Fire Departments Term Paper

Forest Fire Management Systems and Urban Fire Departments

Forest Fire Management Systems

New Technologies

Urban Fire Department

New Technologies

Descriptive Statistics

Suppression Costs for Federal Agencies. Source: National Interagency Fire… read more

Term Paper 63 pages (17324 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Management / Organizations

---

Personnel Management -- Poor Essay

Personnel Management -- Poor personnel management between the employer and the employee (British Airways)

The current situation at airline operator British Airways is enhancing in severity as the relationship between… read more

Essay 7 pages (2213 words) Sources: 1+ Style: Harvard Topic: Career / Labor / Human Resources

---

Business Management Case Essay

Business Management Case

Over the last several years, globalization has had a profound impact upon the transportation industry. Where, it has created a number of unique challenges for a variety… read more

Essay 4 pages (1412 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Business / Corporations / E-commerce

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>