Premium on Safety - Issue 38, 2020 - 6
In Case of Emergency
BEST PRACTICES
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BY CLAIRE M. EALDING
As aviators, effectively managing emergencies is a necessary
but complex skill. Having a successful outcome in an
emergency may depend on proficiency, technical knowledge,
and the ability to exercise effective crew resource management
(CRM). While we bring the discussion of emergency procedures
into our normal crew briefings, how often do we take into
account the way we might respond physically and cognitively
to the stress of an emergency?
Startle Effect
Any emergency, big or small, has the potential to catch us off
guard and elicit a "startle effect" response. When startled, our
attention span narrows, our senses are directed to the source
of the startle, and the nervous system releases a flood of
adrenaline into the bloodstream.
Despite the fact all of this occurs in just a few milliseconds, the
effects of the startle response can last much longer, disrupting
our ability to think clearly and perform. It could cause us to
forget well-versed memory items, fixate on the wrong cues,
jump into procedures without thinking, or even become
completely immobilized.
A number of high-profile aircraft accidents have highlighted the
potential debilitating effects of startle in diagnosing problems.
After the infamous crash of Air France 447 (which bore similarities
to the Challenger 604 crash over Iran in 2018) investigators noted
In an emergency there can be many
different things competing for our attention.
that impaired performance (caused by startle) contributed to
the outcome. In both cases, the cues indicating an aerodynamic
stall went unheeded, and the misdiagnoses resulted in a selfinduced loss of control of the aircraft.
Fix, but Don't Fixate
Based on the nature and severity of the problem, some
systems failures require the immediate completion of memory
items. But rushing in without first taking a moment to clearly
identify the problem is likely to exacerbate an emergency even
contd. on page 8
Adhering to standardized procedures
reduces the workload of each crew member
and helps maintain situational awareness.
6
https://www.bea.aero/docspa/2009/f-cp090601.en/pdf/f-cp090601.en.pdf
https://www.aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20180311-0
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