Originally Posted by
Tee Emm
In another era I was a simulator instructor training students who in their own country were strongly subject to cultural mores. One of which was unquestioning obedience to authority or higher status. One of the questions I asked of them was how would they take over control from a captain...............they would never attempt to take physical control from the captain - that it was unthinkable in their culture.
Apart from timorously warning the captain the approach is unstable, most culturally afflicted students would have no idea how to physically take over control from a captain intent on "making it OK". .......
(my bold)
A general point, since we don't yet know what went wrong in this crash:-
I have often said that taking control needs to be actually trained. It is written in the books that the F/O is supposed to challenge the Captain three times and then take control. But is this ever actually taught or practised. Flying a plane or landing a plane is not left to a written description in the FCOM. We spend weeks having it explained, being examined on it, having our understanding checked and our ability to do it by practising it in a simulator, and finally having to pass a 4 hour LPC/OPC exam in a FFS.
Yet one of the most important safety barriers to accidents - taking control from an errant Captain - is reduced to merely a few lines written in the books somewhere and rarely referred to, and never actually practised for real or tested, (in my 20yr commercial flying experience with 4 UK airlines).
Taking control from a Captain is a big deal - especially if they are also management or very senior. It therefore needs to be taught and play-acted. By everybody. F/Os need to be coached and practise saying the words to a Captain in a 'real' situation. Captains need to experience being taken over from. That way, all members on a flight deck will have been through that process. The F/Os will have more confidence to take control because they will have practised doing so. Captains will have experienced the feeling of losing face and having their authority taken from them. So if it ever has to happen for real, it won't be the first time for anyone.
This will improve F/Os confidence and make Captains better Captains because they will know that if they stray and don't correct errant decisions, they will have their control taken away.
It's not limited to some cultures either. I have sat on (UK) flight decks thinking this guy is doing something questionable. Should I take over or will it be alright.