American Eagle Airlines Flight 3379 Accident - Research Paper Example

American Eagle Airlines Flight 3379 Accident Introduction The research focuses on the factors contributing to air accidents. The pilot’s experience will be considered as a major factor contributing to air accidents on several occasions. To support this assertion, the researcher aims at focusing on the major cause of the American Eagle Airlines flight 3379 accident. The main assumption is that the accident could have been caused by lack of experience on the part of the pilots, and failing to follow the right procedure in addressing impending danger. The research also seeks to state that the accident may have been prevented had the pilot consulted the relevant authority immediately the plane began experiencing mechanical problems. The research will rely on quantitative research design to explain the cause of American Eagle Airlines flight 3379 accident. The data will be obtained from secondary sources, particularly the reports by the National Transport and Safety Board (NTSB). The research will conclude by providing recommendations of what needs to be done to prevent such accidents in future. Background information Air accidents have continued to occur despite the measures by the National Transport and Safety Board (NTSB), and the aviation industry. Recently, the aviation industry has witnessed major accidents, including the disappearance of the Malaysian Airline in 2014, and the recent German airline in the French Alps. The main causes of airline accidents have been cited to be inexperienced pilots, physiological and psychological factors, and weather conditions (Grossman, 2013). Most busy airlines overwork pilots and cabin crew, a situation that has been blamed for making pilots make wrong decisions. Fatigue is a major factor that interferes with the level of productivity and job satisfaction of cabin crew. Some pilots experience mental disorders, such as depression, hence affecting their judgment and prone to making wrong decisions. Brief history of American Eagle Airlines Flight 3379 accident The flagship airline flight 3379 crashed in 1994. The flight origin was Piedmont Triad International Airport and the final destination was Raleigh-Durham Airport. There were 18 passenger and 2 crewmembers (Aircraft Accident Report, 1995). The experience any mechanical problem until when the pilot received the clearance to land. The ignition light of one of the engines illuminated in the cockpit, calling for immediate intervention. It appears that the pilot panicked on realizing the speed of the plane began to decrease drastically. Without taking a moment to determine the cause of the incident, the pilot decided to execute a missed approach, which was a wrong response leading to the accident. The response by the pilot was prompted by the assumption that the engine had flamed out, which turned out to be a wrong judgment. The pilot did not consult with the co-pilot or even attempt to call the control centre for advice on what needed to be done. The aftermath was death of 15 people including both pilots. There were only five survivors. The preliminary reports ruled out the possibility of the accidents to have been caused by weather or mechanical problems of the plane. Main objective To establish the correlation between pilot’s experience and air accidents Specific objectives To determine if inadequate training prompt pilots to make wrong decisions leading to air accidents To establish if consultation with other experts can prevent an accident from occurring To examine the cause of accident involving American Eagle Airlines To determine what aviation industry needs to do to prevent future accidents Research questions Is there a correlation between pilot’s knowledge and experience and prevention of accidents? What caused the American Eagles Airlines Flight 3379 accident? Can consultation and collaboration with co-pilot reduce chances of an accident from occurring? What does the aviation industry need to do to prevent future accidents? Methodology The methodology defines how the processes used in conducting a study, and in particular the research design, data collection methods and analysis. For the purpose of this research, a quantitative research is the most appropriate in providing facts of the accidents, and the causes. The secondary data, particularly from reputable boards such as NTSB will be used. Other credible sources from the internet will also be used. Research findings While the preliminary study did not indicate the actual cause of the accident, the National Transport and Safety Board provided finer details. According to the findings, it was established that the pilot had made a number of gross mistakes that caused the accident (Aircraft Accident Report, 1995). Firstly, the pilot decided to make a decision to respond to the incident without involving even the co-pilot. The information obtained from the Cockpit Voice recorder (CVR) indicated that the pilot did not attempt to contact the control centre for assistance. Secondly, the CVR indicated that the pilot made the wrong decision by executing a missed approach. According to NTSB, this was a wrong move since the engines were in good conditions, and were functional even as the plane crashed (Aircraft Accident Report, 1995). Nevertheless, the NTBS indicated that the pilot had failed in following a procedure of identifying whether either of the engines has failed. When this is established, it is expected that the pilot will use the single engine approach or single engine go-round to effectively respond to the problem. Hence, even after ‘thinking’ that the accident may have been caused by the engine failure, the steps taken by the pilots to address the incident were wrong. The verdict was that the pilot was inexperienced, a situation that may have been caused by lack of proper training. Secondly, the cause of the accident was squarely levelled against the pilot for making gross mistakes, and lack of consultation. The findings also found the Flagship management guilty of the accident the accident. The report asserted that the management had done little to respond to deficiencies witnessed from the pilot. It had failed to avail more training programs to ensure that the pilots were competent, skilled and experienced in their work. Discussion and analysis The findings of the American Eagle Airlines flight 3379 accident is a demonstration that lack of proper training for pilots has been a major cause of a number of accidents. Just because pilots have education, qualification in aviation does not necessarily mean that they are competent enough to overcome challenges. However, despite the requirement by the aviation industry that airlines management ensure that pilots are trained and equipped; some pilots are not given the opportunity. One of the contributing factors could be the efforts by many airline companies to cut cost of operation. Incompetence pilots put the lives of passengers in danger. They make wrong decisions based on the little knowledge and experience. Lack of proper coordination and cooperation between cabin crew and air control centre was a major concern. However, one of the main explanations could be that the pilot did not want to appear inexperienced in his work, hence avoiding asking for assistance. Apart from lack of experience due to inadequate training, more studies have cited physiological factors as other major causes of accidents. Fatigue is one of the major factors that caused pilots to make wrong decisions (Watt, 2007). It could also have been a secondary cause of the American Eagle Airlines flight 3379 accident. For instance, it was indicated that the plane was behind the schedule even as it was leaving for its final destination. The report by the NTSB did not establish whether the pilot might have been suffering from mental fatigue or any psychological problem such as anxiety. Conclusion and recommendation The American Eagle Airlines flight 3379 accident should be blamed on pilot’s inexperience and failure by the management to avail training programs. The accident occurred because the pilot made wrong decisions by working on assumptions. To prevent such an accident in future, airlines should keep records of pilot’s performance and inadequacies. This should be followed by frequent training programs aimed at increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of pilots. Secondly, pilots need to be trained on coordinating with other experts any time the plane experiences a mechanical problem. Even the most experienced pilots can make mistakes. This form of cooperation will ensure that informed decisions are made. Thirdly, airlines should ensure that pilots are assessed for physiological and psychological problems, which need to be addressed immediately. increasing the number of pilots could be one of the measures that should be taken in preventing fatigue. References Aircraft Accident Report (1995). National Transport Safety Board, Washington DC. Retrieved from http://www.airdisaster.com/reports/ntsb/AAR95-07.pdf Grossman, D. (2013) "Check your travel superstitions, or carry them on?," USA Today Noland, D. (July 18, 2007). "Safest Seat on a Plane: PM Investigates How to Survive a Crash". Popular Mechanics. USA Watt, N. (2007). "Staying Alive During a Plane Crash". ABC News. Retrieved on April 8, 2015. Read More