NCSA Safety Seminar - 2008

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

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

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

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

5. Article: “Safety Comes First”Bruno Gantenbrink • “Gliding in not intrinsically dangerous. It is the way it is practiced that makes it so.” • “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

6. 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.

7. Event – Accident Pyramid Aircraft Accident 1 30 Aircraft Incident Hazardous Condition 300 Unreported “Events” 1,000

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

9. 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”

10. (SSA) 2005 ACCIDENT REPORT

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

12. 2007 Western Accidents

13. 2007 Western Accidents

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

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

16. 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?!

17. “Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” George Santayana “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