A multi-engine, instrument rated pilot, James Wynbrandt has been an AIN and Business Jet Traveler contributor since 2003. His in-depth reporting and insightful features have won more than a dozen editorial honors, including two National Business Aviation Association Gold Wing Awards (2019; 2021), and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Barron’s, Fortune, Forbes, and Smithsonian Air &amp; Space. He has flown his Mooney M20K 252 on assignments throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean. Wynbrandt is also the author of Flying High (Wiley &amp; Sons), a biography of Jet Blue founder David Neeleman, as well as histories, references works, and books on a variety of other topics from major publishers. He lives in New York City.

Contributor - Business Aviation

James Wynbrandt

The keys to improving business aviation safety and flight department performance lie in understanding human psychology and group dynamics, safety instructor Robert Gould said at the “Why Do We Fail To Follow Procedures?” session at the NBAA White Plains Regional Forum on Thursday. Gould cited several reasons why pilots and maintenance technicians commit violation errors—for example, the willful disregard of procedures, such as ignoring checklists—including excessive reliance on memory, interruptions, fatigue, poor training, and complacency.

 


“When we violate a procedure and nothing bad happens, we perceive the action to be acceptable,” Gould, of Bravo Golf Aviation said, noting such behavior may be rewarded. “Time saving looks good to management; it saves money.”

 


Additionally, well-intentioned team members may be negatively influenced by non-compliant group behavior, Gould said, citing foundational university research on obedience to authority and group conformity. “Negative norms develop,” said Gould. “Normalization of deviation becomes accepted.”

 


Gould, who teaches at the University of Southern California’s Aviation Safety Program, urged attendees “not to accept that rules must sometimes be bent to get the job done, reject shortcuts, and recognize complacency. It’s all about good leadership and strong personal discipline,” Gould concluded. “There’s a difference between leadership and management.”

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