A controller’s transmission of “two-two-four” may become garbled or have static at either end of the message-and could be heard as “to two-four.” Controllers may also be too busy to acknowledge a pilot’s readback, leaving pilots to misinterpret this silence as confirmation. Accidents often occur when a pilot incorrectly reads back instructions, and the controller doesn’t hear the error. However, the captain interpreted these two words to mean the plane was in jeopardy and turned the airplane back toward the departure airport. One miscommunication incident involved a flight attendant asking the flight deck to “turn around” because the cabin door was open and needed closing. Simple misunderstandings can have dire consequences at 25,000 feet. Since numbers can be used in many different flight parameters-including headings, airspeeds, altitudes, flight numbers, and call signs-it is vital that messages are clarified before actions are taken. Numbers are one of the biggest sources of communication problems between pilots and air traffic controllers, especially the homophones “two” and “to” and “four” and “for.” Studies have also shown that pilots have difficulty interpreting messages with several zeros, especially if multiple instructions are given in one transmission. For instance, replacing "inbound" with “outbound,” using "no" instead of "negative" or "yes" instead of "affirmative" can start a chain reaction that leads to runway incursions or near-misses. The misuse of standardized phrases and terms can not only cause confusion, but it can also cause fatal injuries. For example, a pilot mentioning that the plane is “running low on fuel" without using an international distress signal may be interpreted as a mere concern and not an emergency situation. English speakers in the aviation industry are particularly likely to cause misunderstandings when speaking to non-native English speaking pilots, crew, or air traffic control. The words and inflection used between pilots and flight controllers are critical in communicating potential problems. While airlines are responsible for ensuring that their pilots and crews are adequately trained, many have made simple mistakes that can lead to passenger injuries.Īn experienced aviation accident attorney can determine whether your injury was caused by: Miscommunication Linked to Airplane Accident Injuries and DeathsĪccording to one study, communication failures have contributed to the deaths of more than 2,000 people in plane crashes since the mid-1970s. Pilots receive most of their instructions through auditory communication from air traffic controllers, and these verbal messages can be forgotten, misinterpreted, or even never heard at all. While this includes conflicts between flight crew members, it can also be a disconnect between those in the air and workers on the ground. It may seem ridiculous, but many aviation injuries occur simply because airline staff members cannot work together.
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