when and where did crm start

[lockeyman]

I have done some research and it would appear that the crm concept started as a result of several airline crashes in the late sixties. Does anyone know how the trickle down to the military and civilian world evolved and if so to what effect. I am trying to put together an "interesting" crm presentation and would welcome any help. If there is the ultimate crm publication out there please let me know.

[llanfairpg]

When Eve got a C of A.

[DX Wombat]

Llanfairpg!!!!!!!! :{

[john_tullamarine]

... perhaps we'll leave that gem unless someone complains ?

[Bealzebub]

The reality is that "CRM" as a title or buzz phrase may well have started somewhere at some point, but the concept has always been there. In many ways it is an abstract art mixed with factual science which makes definition open to individual interpretation.

Generally the subject is to do with the weakness and strength of human behaviour, and the individual recognition or awareness of those traits. Through this recognition and awareness the goal is to strengthen our behaviour profile to improve safety and as a result survival.

In aviation some of the behaviour aspects that might otherwise provide for success are sometimes very incompatible with the technological and scientific regime in which we operate. A very high percentage of accidents and incidents over the last century have been attributed to "Pilot error" when in fact a more accurate title would have been human error. Technology has no emotions or the ability to reason. Humans do, and this should not only make us masters of the former, but should give us a collective superiority over it. Unfortunetaly as we all know, aspects of our emotional behaviour and such things as competitiveness, pride, ego, anger etc. Can and often do work in a negative way in conjuction with this technology, and with each other. This is problematic in the sense that despite the negative perceptions of these behaviours, they are driving and motivational forces that we all have, are naturally part of what makes us what we are, and have had a vital role in our evolution.

CRM ( in its current incarnation ) has developed as it has become recognised that we need to become aware of the dangers inherent with not recognising our own behavioural strengths and weaknesses, and how we use them in interaction with others within the group. This is a subject that deals with issues that we are often reluctant to admit, confront or recognise. It is also a subject that is and probably always will develop, change and evolve as time progresses.

The subject is now and increasingly going to be a vital part of the initial and ongoing training within aviation and other industries. llanfairpig may have been tongue in cheek with the comment, but the reality is that what we now call CRM deals with the subjects that have always had the ability to aid us in our survival or kill us.

[alf5071h]

From “A checklist for CRM training”, Salas, Wilson, Burke, Wightman, Howes. Following a number of tragic aircraft accidents in the 1970s (e.g., United Airlines Flight 173 near Portland, OR; Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 in the Florida Everglades), the aviation community took notice of the concept of CRM training, whereby team members are taught to use all available resources – people, information, and equipment (Lauber, 1984).
The Evolution of Crew Resource Management Training in Commercial Aviation. (http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/homepage/group/HelmreichLAB/Publications/pubfiles/Pub235.pdf)
Cover Story – Red Alert. (www.casa.gov.au/fsa/2006/oct/index.asp)
CRM More than just Talk, Talk,Talk,Talk. (http://cradpdf.drdc.gc.ca/PDFS/zbb72/p510933.pdf)
CRM Topics. (http://s92270093.onlinehome.us/CRM-Devel/resources/crmtopic.htm)

[Pugilistic Animus]

I thought the infamous Captain Van Zanten was responsible for the introduction or CRM???

[Albert Driver]

CRM grew from Human Factors (try googling that).

I did a Human Factors course with my degree in the mid-sixties, when it was already a well-established but not a particularly well-known discipline. I think there is a professional body dating from the mid-fifties. Certainly by the early sixties there were academics trying to relate human factors to aviation. The term CRM didn't appear until much later, but the basic ideas were around then, although not yet widely accepted in the industry.

Let us know what you find out.

[llanfairpg]

Sorry about my little gem but I know that DX knows I think women pilots have the upperhand ( I just wish black leather boots could be standard uniform issue)

The people to tell you about the start of CRM would be the boys (and girls) at Cranfield Institute as I know they were involved in the early course.

[Pugilistic Animus]

perhaps I'm dense? I don't get the joke:ugh:

[jolly girl]

Helmreich and Foushee at Univerity of Texas did research into this in the 1980s. I often see their texts cited during CRM / Aircrew performance courses. I beleive their research is the basis for the US/ICAO CRM efforts.

[EI-EIO]

CRM has its initial roots in a workshop conducted by nasa around 1979/80 were they were looking into the causes of aircraft accidents,data produced at this workshop identified the human error aspects of the majority of accidents.
the likes of interpersonnel communications, leadership, decision making etc. it was here that the term or label "cockpit resource management" was applied.
CRM has evolved over the previous decades and is now at 5th generation level.

[Bob Lenahan]

United Airlines was using "CRM" in the mid sixties and, if memory serves, they called it CRM.

[paco]

UA did indeed make a start, after a NASA workshop in 1979. However, in Canada certainly, the subject didn't really get under way until after the Dryden accident.

Phil