The Curse of Knowledge
One of the challenges of expertise is the curse of knowledge, the unawareness of just how complicated and nuanced one’s thinking has become. This challenge can interfere with the transfer of wisdom (up to 70%).
Just because you know the rotors are dangerous doesn’t mean others do.
We all have our own knowledge of the world. When you work with crew, you have to understand just how much you know compared to how little they do and work hard to even the levels so the transfer of knowledge is effective.
In Search of the Perfect Crew.
Get Lucky Every Time
It is good to be lucky but it is better to be good.
Luck implies randomness and the best among us design their world to build patterns and reduce unpredictability. Those that are good, embrace luck when it occurs but have skills that create repeatable situations. They don’t live in the hazard of the situation because they have repeatable skills that work in the moment, every time.
Is it luck that to never walk to the rear of the helicopter even when it is shut down? They don’t get hit, not because they are lucky, but because they have created repeatable actions that keep them safe and efficient.
Success is fundamentally unstable and remains so because of the dynamic nature of change, instability, and flexibility. It takes work to be safe. You have to design your world without relying on luck, creating patterns of behaviour that make us lucky.
In Search of the Perfect Crew.
Room for Error
Room for error is usually viewed as a conservative behaviour used by those who want to stay away from risk. However, used appropriately it can be the opposite allowing an approach towards risk while still maintaining a comfortable margin.
Being in the right spot at the right time can create opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable. A professional crew will create room for error allowing them to perform to higher levels when the circumstances might otherwise disallow it - for example, always having adequate margins in the size of the helipad LZ enables a late in the day, low light recovery of the crew that would otherwise have been unsafe.
In Search of the Perfect Crew
Non Zero Probability
What are the chances?
A valid question because to meet the risk head on means to spend resources (time, money, effort, attention, etc.) to deal with the possibility of the risk which takes those resources away from other things. It’s never happened before is not a good metric for deciding whether it will happen in the future.
What’s the possibility of the Deepwater Horizon blowing up? What is the chance of a bat virus changing the world? What is the likelihood of the pilot making an error? With a non zero probability, the key is to understand the cost of the consequence and create a proactive response.
When you are in the flying environment this would be an awareness of the actions and thinking of the pilot and other crew. This small amount of focus and attention might save the day as you communicate hazards (e.g. “Wires 10 o’clock, 200 metres.”) and create a situation that is routine rather than dangerous.
The chance of the the monkey shooting you or the pilot making an error is never zero. Play your part. Be an active crew.
In Search of the Perfect Crew.
If it repeats, is it new?
The first helicopter shows up in BC August 9, 1947 and sets to work finding work. Much was to be learned including the benefits of having an enclosed cabin and hearing protection.
Avoiding wire strikes might have become top of the list after a telephone wire brought down the machine September 1, three weeks later, putting the machine in the repair shop until the following spring.
Since then wires have been a constant hazard for low level helicopter operations. The mortality rate from wire strikes is high, frighteningly so, because of the loss of control that occurs while airborne and travelling at higher speeds adding high amounts of kinetic energy to the crash, therefore avoiding wires is in the interest of all who fly.
Due to lighting and background conditions, it is not possible to see all the wires all the time. It has been proven through experience (and multiple crashes) that it is not possible to remember wires all the time - many pilots have hit the wires they knew were there as they simply forgot about them.
So what to do? Crew can play an essential role in the prevention of wire strikes. Knowing what to look for and communicating precise and timely information can keep the helicopter and all those associated with it safe. Learn what to do and become part of the solution and perhaps the last wire strike has happened.
In Search of the Perfect Crew.
Non Event Feedback
Always take a step back when there is a camera in the mix.
Your personal experiences make up very little of what has happened in the world but maybe 80% of how you think the world works. We are all biased to our own personal history.
Just because you did “it” before and were successful doesn’t mean “it” was a good idea. Non event feedback is doing the wrong thing and getting the right answer. Crossing an empty street without looking for traffic is a successful strategy at 4 in the morning yet the change of one factor and the feedback from the wee hours is useless during afternoon rush hour.
Being reflective and knowing there is always more to know, that life is dynamic and always changing, helps you make better decisions. Critical analysis of success is as important as the examination of failure. Seek out information that when reflected upon will lead to a fuller picture of success. Were you good or just lucky?
Start with the assumption that everyone is innocently out of touch. This way you are more likely to be open to multiple points of view that can capture ideas that reflect reality in a truer way.
In Search of the Perfect Crew
Look out below!
In 2019 the TSB recorded 28 accidental or inadvertent releases of underslung loads. The causes were many including pilot SLOJ, improper longline wiring, longline caught in the tail rotor, insecure loads, unstable loads, and multiple failures of rigging. These are just the ones they found out about.
Slinging accidents happen mostly to experienced pilots - a natural conclusion as they are the ones who are capable of this demanding work. Simply having a pilot who knows what they are doing is no guarantee that everything will go well.
Getting pressured into a risky situation, accepting hazards, fatigue and distraction can push the expert into failure. Professional crew can minimize the dangers of slinging by being proactive and situationally aware. For example, always being thoroughly briefed (so if things start to go sideways they will know), watching the load on arrival and the hook on departure, never getting underneath it, checking the rigging every time, having communication with the pilot, using hand signals, never overloading the aircraft by adjusting load weights to the fuel burn of the helicopter, and making sure the pilot is in the loop.
60% of accidents occur on the pick up of the load, so being engaged and aware is a good way of staying part of the Perfect Crew.
Pareto Principle
The Pareto principle states that for many outcomes roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of the causes (the “vital few”). This applies to many things including sales (a few products generate the most revenue), World GDP (The richest 20% hold 80% of the wealth), and healthcare (20% of the patients use 80% of the resources).
It can also apply to an individual working as crew. 80% of the behaviours of a professional take 20% of the available mental capacity. SoPs, habits, and protocols make much of the work automatic, requiring little effort to maintain excellence. It is the remaining 20% of behaviours that is the trick. Much of the time this portion is ignored or lightly touched upon.
The thinking is that 80% is good enough and gets the job done - the effort required to capture the last 20% is not worth the cost - is accurate and sufficient in most cases. However it is the true professional that sees the long tail distribution of the small effects having large outcomes and the act of spending the 80% will pay off.
In Search of the Perfect Crew
Unknown Unknowns
Donald Rumsfeld the American Secretary of Defense stated in 2002
“Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don't know we don't know. … it is the latter category that tends to be the difficult ones.”
He brought up a good point - how do you know what you don’t even know you should know?
Working with professional crew where everyone feels comfortable in bringing all topics to the table leads to open and frank discussions where the discovery of the unknown unknowns is more likely. It might be obvious to the crew that the helicopter longline load is now attached to the tower but is this an unknown unknown to the the pilot? Does he know that this is even a possibility?
Professional crew use communication and empathy (an understanding of the other’s point of view) to let the unknown become known.
In Search of the Perfect Crew
Sorry, No Sympathy
Sympathy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is the state of being simultaneously affected with a feeling similar or corresponding to that of another. It’s “I feel the same way as you”. Sympathy is not a desirable state amongst professional crews. For example if someone is not focused, fearful, or distracted by consequential events then feeling the same way will not benefit anyone during operations.
Empathy on the other hand is the power of identifying oneself mentally and so fully comprehending a person. You can understand someone is distracted by thoughts but you don’t have to be in the same place mentally. “I understand the way that you feel”.
A professional crew is like a Lego house built of unique blocks that fit together in a way that is strong and resilient, able to be dismantled by challenge only to rebuild as robustly as before. Understanding the others through and with empathy helps create this kind of effective affiliation.
In Search of the Perfect Crew
SLOJ
Aviation loves acronyms. VFR - Visual Flight Rules, HEC - Human External Cargo, VNE - Velocity Never Exceed, and then there is SLOJ - Sudden Loss of Judgement.
These are situations where the pilot suddenly decides to follow a course of action that is not thought through and usually creates a hazard, or even a danger, to the crew, the aircraft, and even himself. A good clue that SLOJ has occurred is you saying to yourself “WTF?”
The NTSB (American National Transportation Safety Board) referred to SLOJ as a causal factor in the S-76 crash that killed Kobe Bryant. Referencing the pilot, they said “Basically the scenario that we believe happened is that he’s flying along, he realizes that he’s sort of getting boxed in with visibility. And then he must have made the decision. “You know what, I’m just going to punch up through these clouds and get on top.” This SLOJ led to disorientation and loss of control of the aircraft.
As an active crew it is challenging to stay on top of things and have the constant situational awareness that perceives SLOJ in time to react and correct it. Professional crews look out for each other at all times and use their communication skills to capture SLOJ and replace it with superior thinking.
In Search of the Perfect Crew
Selective Compliance
Society is becoming driven more and more by rules rather than common sense, some say.
Someone, somewhere screws up. The fix is to make a rule.
"Stop thinking."
"Don't use common sense."
"It is proven that past behaviour causes this problem so just follow the rule."
All these are good points and on the whole create a better operation But....
Too many rules - especially ones that are perceived as stupid or non applicable - can diminish the buy in of crews. Selective compliance happens when the crew start deciding which rules they will follow and which ones they won't.
It is up to those in charge to make sure that not only the rules are being followed but to ensure buy in. They do this through communication and follow up to have the crew understand the value of the rule and to affirm it actually does make sense.
In Search of the Perfect Crew
Whadya Mean You Don’t Know?
"Can you take this?"
"Is the weather good enough?"
"Can you land there?"
Pilots get asked questions like these all the time and sometimes the answer is "I don't know."
Unlike the airline world, the VFR helicopter industry is regulated but not engineered. Much of the operation is made up as we go along. The information required to take a load, fly to a remote site or land at an unprepared spot is sometimes insufficient to give a definitive answer. The pilot will require more data.
When a pilot says "I don't know." he really means "I need more detail in order to make a decision."
Professional crew understand this language and provide those details proactively by pre-weighing loads, enabling onsite weather reporting (remote cameras, radio communication, etc.) and are aware of helicopter limitations and therefore encourage the pilot to do a detailed reconnaissance of proposed landing zones.
Running out of power because the helicopter got into the downflowing lee slope of a mountain top is rarely a pleasant experience. Be a proactive, professional crew member and ensure your pilot never has to say "I don't know."
In Search of the Perfect Crew
Lose the Long Tail Lottery
50 Year Helicopter Accident Rate
The long tail - a statistical term referring to the substantial number that can rest under the graph away from the conspicuous and larger section.
While the number of annual helicopter accidents have substantially reduced since the 1960's, the long tail shows little signs of lessening from 1980 and into the future.
"If you keep doing what you have always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always got." W.L. Bateman
If things continue like they have in the past then it is obvious there will be accidents in the future - someone will be a statistic in the long tail lottery. This is one lottery you don't want to win - become crew and be involved in the safety of your flight.
Step on the long tail and lose the lottery.
In Search of the Perfect Crew
The Fear Equation
F= k+p
Fear requires knowledge of the threat and a feeling of powerlessness.
They say ignorance is bliss and this is why. The ignorant are unaware of any threat and therefore feel no fear regardless of their power.
Once you become aware of the threat, the only way to deal with the ensuing fear is to educate and empower yourself. Whether it is health, financial or flying there are things you can do but it takes effort and education.
Learn how and then take charge of what you can do. Move beyond the weakness of fear to being the cool, courageous crew that can deal with the situation. Courage, by the way, is not a lack of fear - it is the ability to handle it.
In Search of the Perfect Crew
Chronic Unease
A beginner is clueless. An intermediate knows they know enough (sometimes a synonym for "everything"). An expert understands the limits of their knowledge and awareness and therefore maintains a state of chronic unease.
This is a frame of mind that takes little for granted (did we succeed because we were lucky?) and maintains a heightened awareness of the situation looking for signs of deviance (why are things not going according to plan?).
You have this driving down the road. Your eyes scan the road (unless you are texting) looking for the car at the intersection, the slippery surface and even the speed limit change. The small adjustments of the steering wheel to keep the car on the road are reactions to deviance (fail to adjust and you end up in the ditch).
Chronic unease takes training to learn and energy to do. Crew members help each other to achieve this.
In Search of the Perfect Crew
Letter Perfect
T is the perfect letter when it comes to describing the skill set of a good crew member. The vertical line of the T represents in depth knowledge, experience and skill, while the horizontal line shows an awareness of everything else going on in the crew.
Professional crew members work on both aspects of their position, being aware of everyone else and contributing input when they see a need as well as focusing on their own skill.
In Search of the Perfect Crew
What Drives the Driver?
Transport Canada says the operation and the safety of the aircraft is the pilot's primary purpose. Has anyone asked the pilot?
No pilot thinks they are unsafe and therefore doesn't focus on what TC thinks. A pilot will worry about his employment though and what it takes to keep it. Job loss is not usually a result of mishandling the aircraft but of mishandling people - probably the customer.
The influence that a customer has on a commercial helicopter pilot is substantial. The pilot must create a situation where both his passenger and his employer are pleased to keep him on. It has been recognized that this causes subtle but very real pressure, that can push the pilot into unwise and possibly unsafe acts.
It takes an active and aware crew to manage this pressure and ensure it does not unduly influence the pilot. Knowing the helicopter and pilot's limitations, planning ahead, communicating properly and reflecting on their behaviour help crew to create a pressure free flight.
In Search of the Perfect Crew
Not so Secret an Agent
"Agency" is the ability to make a decision, and to be responsible for the decision you make.
Since there have been armies, society has made an exception for soldiers. A soldier following orders is not a murderer, as he doesn't have agency--society doesn't generally want its soldiers questioning orders from our generals.
But the industrial age has taken this absolution to ever-higher heights. Every worker in every job is given a pass, because he's just doing his job. The cigarette marketer or the foreman in the low-wage sweatshop... they're just doing their jobs.
This free pass is something that makes the industrial economy so attractive to many people. They've been raised to want someone else to be responsible for the what and the how, and they'd just like a job, thanks very much.
Now there's a fork in the road. In one direction lies the opportunity to regain agency, to take responsibility for ever more of our actions and their effects. In the other direction is the race to the bottom, and the dehumanizing process of more compliance, a cog in an uncaring system."
As a crew member you are not a cog. You are an agent with the ability to make a decision, and to be responsible for the decisions you make.
In Search of the Perfect Crew
Fixed or Growth?
Mindset is a simple idea. In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort. They’re wrong.
Everyone is born with an intense drive to learn. Infants stretch their skills daily. Not just ordinary skills, but the most difficult tasks of a lifetime, like learning to walk and talk. They never decide it’s too hard or not worth the effort. Babies don’t worry about making mistakes or humiliating themselves. They walk, they fall, and they get up. They just barge forward. What could put an end to this exuberant learning? The fixed mindset...
In the fixed mindset it’s not enough just to succeed. It’s not enough just to look smart and talented. You have to be pretty much flawless. And you have to be flawless right away... After all, if you have it you have it, and if you don’t you don’t...
In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. Virtually all great people have had these qualities.
By understanding the value of a growth mindset, a group can work together to constantly improve both the safety and efficiency of the job.
How does your crew look at the world?
Read more: http://mindsetonline.com/
In Search of the Perfect Crew