Crew Resource Management (CRM) became one of the two hot safety and flight training topics of the 90’s. As aircraft maintenance has reached new levels of reliability, aircrew errors have become the predominant factor in aircraft accidents. The US Air Force estimates that upwards of 80% of all mishaps are the result of human factors/errors. As aviation has progressed, hardware has become more reliable and the environment more demanding. These higher demands require better decision making by pilots, and better management of the available resources. Therefore, the greatest investment aviators can make to minimize the possibility of an accident is to maximize the use of all available assets during flying operations.

But, first, lets review a few basics. What exactly do we mean by CRM? We mean the efficient and proper utilization of every available resource within and without the cockpit. Simply put, the effective management of a pilot’s available resources. Why do we stress CRM as a safety tool? There are five main reasons: 1) Complacency – flying is dangerous. When you stop respecting the environment you’re in and the inherent risk, you stop paying attention and start making mistakes. 2) Communication – flying operations demand not just clear, but effective communication. You may know what your intentions are, but if you don’t communicate them effectively, your crew or outside agencies, may not. This could lead to an unsafe situation because people will not be working as a team to accomplish the mission. 3) Equipment malfunctions – people tend to think, "that will never happen to me". But any emergency can, and will, and when you east expect it. Be prepared and have a plan when it does. 4) "That’s not in the manual". Many emergency situations simply are not in the flight manual. When that happens, a good pilot will seek input from every available source including other crewmembers, pilots in their and other aircraft, air traffic control agencies and even phone patches to the aircraft manufacturer. 5) Adverse weather – as good as we get at weather prediction, there is never a 100% certainty that what you see is what you get. This is the perfect reason to get weather updates enroute and solicit pilot reports when available. These solutions may sound simply like good piloting, which is exactly what CRM is.

There are many ways to practice CRM and put your training to use. "Hangar Flying" sessions are a great way to practice "what if" scenarios and can be a great way to test your flight decision making and flying operations knowledge with other pilots. The integration of CRM principles into flight planning and post mission debriefs is critical to CRM success. Distribution and discussion of CRM newsletters and "read files" can be a great stimulant to new CRM techniques and ideas. And, finally, honestly relating personal experiences to other aviators can be the greatest learning tool and reinforce the lessons of experience. The bottom line is CRM must be more than just training, it must be an inherent part of aircrew discipline.

Now that we’ve covered what CRM is and its impact on flight safety, lets look at some technique that can enhance CRM in your cockpit. First, maintain a consistent set of rules. Understanding FAA regulations, flight manual procedures and personal minimums is the foundation for safe aviation. Second, develop and practice good habit patterns. Good habits will keep you safe and prevent mistakes such as skipping checklist items when the stresses of an emergency situation start piling up. Third, use a total cockpit approach. Organize your cockpit before flight, including folding required maps, setting the radios, opening and having available all checklists and keeping all emergency tools, like flashlights, within easy reach. This will prevent confusion and minimize "fumbling around in the dark" when, and if, they are required. Fourth, establish a system for managing your fuel. Every airplane has at least one thing in common: no fuel, no fly. There are numerous cases of pilots concentrating on minor cockpit malfunctions, forgetting the fuel gauge, and crashing on empty tanks. Fifth, you can’t manage the weather, but you can manage your flight through it. Get every bit of information you can from television, weather reports, pilot reports and flight service. Then use it to make a smart decision, even if it means canceling the flight. Finally, be prepared for whatever happens. During every phase of flight, expect the worst possible thing to happen and have a plan in case it does. These are some suggestions and techniques to enhance CRM in your cockpit. But nothing substitutes knowing your own personal strengths and weaknesses, and exercising good leadership to overcome the deficiencies.

There is one other memory aid that can help you during an emergency situation. It is the word DECIDE, and each letter stands for a different act. The D is "detect the need to make a decision". The E, "evaluate your options, considering the goals of your flight. The C stands for "choosing the options that best meet your goals’. The I is critical, "implement that choice". The second D is also for detect, "detect the changes that result from your decision". Finally, the last E, "evaluate the result and your need to make further decisions". This moniker is fairly simple, but in the "heat of battle" simple is what you need and what may save your life.

Effective CRM can literally make the difference between life and death. Informed decision making is relatively easy. The more information you have to work with in the cockpit, the more intelligent (and safe) will be the choice you make. We’ve all heard the adage "prior planning prevents poor performance". This is especially true in aviation. However, sometimes the unexpected happens and the ability to coordinate all available resources into an effective solution, the use of CRM, can be the key to success.

Operational Risk Management (ORM), is not a new concept put forth by desk bound theorists as a way to reduce accident statistics. It is simply a method to formulize the risk assessment that we do everyday. In other words, it’s common sense set into a structured process that clearly establishes the relationship between the inherent risk and the associated benefits. The number of high risk situations is infinite, but some examples are taking off with a known problem, flying in a high density area, low level flight operations, unfamiliar airfields, deviations from standard operating procedures, unexpected or hazardous weather and, the biggest risk factor of all, complacency.

Major Sandy Kriegel of the US Air Force HQ AMC Flight Safety describes it best when he writes, "Risk Management is a common sense way of accomplishing the mission with the least possible risk. It’s a method of getting the job done by identifying the areas that present the highest risk, then taking action to eliminate, reduce, or control that risk. Risk Management can be extremely flexible and can range from a process taking only a few moments to a more expanded one lasting several hours or days. Whenever possible, Risk Management should be fully integrated into mission planning and execution. It is a tool used to help make sound, informed decisions and gives you the opportunity to step back and evaluate risks before you place people and resources in an unsafe situation".

Operational Risk Management can be depicted as a formalized 6-step process. First, identify all the hazards and potential sources of danger you could encounter. Second, assess the risk associated with the hazard and the effect on the mission. Experience and judgement will play an important role in determining what the hazards are. For example, night flying would pose little risk for an aviator who has logged over 1,000 hours at night. However, for an aviator who just received night/instrument certification, the hazard of flying at night is greatly increased. Third, analyze risk control measures. Risk can be accepted, reduced, avoided, distributed, and/or transferred, and each option should be considered for each hazard. Fourth, make control decisions. This is the most crucial part of ORM. You must weigh the risk against the benefit and decide if the mission is warranted. Just who makes this decision? The decision should be made at the level corresponding to the degree of risk. In other words, if you’re the one flying, you make the final determination if it is worth the risk. Fifth, implement risk controls. It does no good to identify the hazards and methods to minimize risk if you don’t implement these measures. Finally, supervise and review your missions and decisions and those of your subordinates. This ensures that the appropriate hazards and risks were identified and any changes implemented. This is also where "lessons learned" are incorporated into future mission planning.  See Pocket Guide to USAF Operational Risk Management 

In the end, ORM cannot be mandated; it must become part of the CAP culture. To be a permanent part of our culture, it must be embraced in everything we do. Risk is always present, but it is our responsibility to reduce the risk as much as possible so as to avoid taking unnecessary risk. Take active steps to reduce the risk to the least possible and accept risk where the benefits outweigh the cost. Each of us practices risk assessment in our daily lives on a "feel" or subconscious level. With ORM, we are simply formalizing the process to reduce the possibility that we are accepting a risk that is more than we think it is, and prevent risks that we are unaware of from becoming serious consequences. Once this process becomes part of our daily mission planning, we will maximize our capability and ensure mission success. In the end, we must ask ourselves: "what is the difference between a known, evaluated and accepted risk and a gamble?" The answer is information and the process that takes that information and transforms it into the right decision – ORM. Don’t become an accident looking for one! 
 See  Introduction to CAP Operational Risk Management (ORM)

Safety is a priority in the Civil Air Patrol. Flight safety, while no more important than ground safety, is perhaps, less forgiving. It is therefore prudent to establish a dynamic safety program that enforces safety guidelines and yet encourages people to disclose lessons learned from personal experience. It must be flexible enough to enable full-time and part-time aviators to gain the same insights and practice the same procedures. To that end, there are some basic elements that are critical to a successful safety program. It is important to remember that safety responsibilities cannot be delegated, and remain the providence of the commander. The commander will appoint a safety officer to assist and advise the commander in the management of the overall accident prevention program. These responsibilities include:

• 1. Planning safety training programs to include guest speakers to aquaint all personnel with their responsibility for applying safe practices

• 2. Directing accident investigations and preparing safety reports

• 3. Performing safety surveys both annually and at other times when hazards or hazardous operations so warrant.

• 4. Conducting staff visits to subordinate units to assist them in identifying and solving safety problems.

• 5. Reviewing and analyzing findings of accident reports to determine trends and methods for preventing future accidents.

• 6. Arranging for publicity of safety programs through such media as bulletin boards, newspapers, etc.

• 7. Establish a safety hazard-reporting program.

• 8. Insure unit compliance with CAPR 62-1 and CAPR 62-2

These are the basic essential elements of a CAP flight safety program. However, no safety program is complete without the utmost dedication of each member of the CAP team. Safety needs to be a major concern; both for ourselves and the people we help.

The overall purpose of mishap reporting and investigation is mishap prevention. Prompt notification and reporting of all CAP mishaps to the appropriate officials is mandatory. When serious injury or death is involved, there will be no formal or informal investigation conducted by CAP unless directed by NHQ CAP.

Before we begin, we need to clarify some definitions. First, a mishap is an unplanned or unsought event, or series of events that result in death, injury, or damage to equipment or property. Bodily injuries are personal injury mishaps resulting from aircraft or vehicle accidents or incidents. Bodily injuries sustained in an aircraft should be reported as part of that mishap. Nontraumatic illnesses that occur as a result of CAP activities will be reported as bodily injuries. Property damage to aircraft is classified as "flight" or "ground". For flight classification, mishaps involve the operation of corporate or member-furnished aircraft during CAP activities, which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight, until such time as all persons have disembarked. These mishaps are classified as accidents or incidents, depending on the severity. Accidents are defined as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, and in which any person suffers death or serious injury, or in which the aircraft receives substantial damage. A fatal injury means any injury which results in death within 30 days of the accident. An incident means an occurrence other than an accident associated with the operation of an aircraft, which could affect the safety of operations.

Mishap reporting procedures are very specific and are spelled out in CAPR 62-2. We will cover the highlights below, but it is important to remember that every mishap should be reported because it is the only way to prevent them from happening again. First, the unit or activity commander will immediately notify the wing commander and wing safety officer when any mishap occurs during a CAP activity. Wing commanders or their designees will immediately notify NHQ CAP of all accidents involving substantial damage, serious injury, or death. In addition, the wing will also immediately notify their liaison office, and the region commander or his/her designee, of all aircraft accidents or incidents, and all other mishaps involving death and/or serious injury. Lastly, unit or activity commanders are responsible for completing and submitting CAPF 78, Mishap Report Form, within 48 hours of the mishap.

Suffice to say, mishap reporting is serious business. Safety is a commander’s program and the commander is responsible for the safe conduct of all unit operations. Correct documentation and reporting of mishaps is critical in preventing their reoccurrence and becomes the foundation for our "lessons learned" program. It is up to each of us to operate safely at all times, whether on the ground or in the air, and make accidents a thing of the past.
Good News:  Civil Air Patrol logs safest year in history  (2000)

Safety is everyone’s responsibility. Crew Resource Management and Operational Risk Management can significantly reduce the number of flying related accidents. Effective use of all available resources and thorough pre-flight planning can minimize the chance that the unexpected will happen. But, the best pilots are always prepared with backup plans and alternative solutions. Practicing good CRM and ORM techniques and procedures can ensure your flights are mishap free.

For additional information see the CAP Safety Program Web Page