PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Panic in Pilots
Thread: Panic in Pilots
View Single Post
Old 27th Feb 2006, 22:02
  #58 (permalink)  
issi noho
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Scotland
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Having watched professional pilots in simulators and interviewed post incident I have never observed what I would define as panic. I have seen the inexperienced perplexed but searching for something to do in a crisis and the experienced try to find something within their knowledge base to compare the problem to, but while there is something to do everybody does it (even when its futile).

Commercial aviation has such a high degree of continuation training and testing that the most natural thing to do in a crisis is stay focused, highly organised and procedural. It also has to said that the authorities, with the benefit of international co-operation, direct training departments towards areas where performance improvements are required.

Panic exists only where the crew are no longer in a position to have a bearing on the outcome of the event. There is a short video of a parachutist narrowly missing a Chipmunk aircraft whilst in free fall, from the sound of his cry I can only imagine that is what panic sounds like.

You could try asking whether pilots who have been involved in seriously life threatening situations suffer panic attacks post incident once the ''what ifs'' have time to creep into the mind and attack the enormity of their accomplishments. Or have you ever considered a PhD in huge egos?
issi noho is offline