Even as a frequent but terrible flyer, who craves a gin & tonic every time the safety belt sign goes on, I thought it was about time we all celebrate the remarkable progress in airline safety in leading western airlines.
The fall in the number of accidents from three fatal accidents per million flights to one plane loss for every 3.57 million flights is a remarkable case of what happens when we combine good technology, expert training, sensible regulation and empowerment of crews to do the right thing (Flightglobal.com).
Read below Charles Hogeman account of how this progress was made. His useful maxim I'm sure could inform many other areas of organizational activity:
Presenting on pilot standards at the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) International Aviation Safety Seminar in October 2010, the Air Line Pilots Association International's chief human factors spokesman Capt Charles Hogeman summed up the limitations of regulation to enforce safety thus:
"Simple, clear purpose and principles give rise to complex, intelligent behaviour. Complex rules and regulations give rise to simple, stupid behaviour."
The IATA rate equates to one jet hull loss accident every 3.57 million flights, whereas the world average is one every 1.5 million flights. A comparison with days gone by shows that, in 1979, the world average accident rate in the same category was three fatal accidents per million flights, so the global average has improved by a multiple of 4.5 in that period.
Source: Flightglobal.com
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