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Fly the plane first is a phrase used in aviation to remind pilots to prioritize flying the aircraft and maintaining control and stability before attempting other tasks. The saying has its roots in aviation safety, as it is often in emergencies that quick decision-making and immediate action are required. When the flight is going well, the aircrafts crew must take care of various tasks. However, in an emergency, pilots should not waste time on extraneous tasks, as in the case of aircraft piloting, reaction time is the most precious resource.
Many human lives depend on pilots qualifications, training, and ability to respond to emergencies. That is why the FAA Safety Briefing article Fly the Plane First (2018) focuses on the importance of the phrase fly the plane first in aviation. It discusses the human factors that can contribute to an accident, such as task fixation, complacency, and poor crew resource management. Effective communication between crew members is highlighted as one of the essential factors in piloting (Federal Aviation Administration, 2018). Not surprisingly, failure to follow the principle of flying the plane first has led to many disasters, examples of which are mentioned in the article. These examples most important human-related issues were automation fixation, complacency, and situational ignorance (Federal Aviation Administration, 2018). All these factors are related to the teams lack of focus on piloting and communication problems.
One example of an aviation incident that may have been prevented if the crew had remembered to fly the plane first is the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash in 2013. In his article Human factors analysis and classification system (HFACS): as applied to Asiana Airlines Flight 214 , Small explored the causes of the crash and the crews actions. During the approach to San Francisco International Airport, the aircraft descended too low and too slow, resulting in a hard landing that caused the plane to crash and catch fire. The crash resulted in three fatalities and numerous injuries among the passengers and crew (Small, 2020). The investigation revealed that crew resource management issues, task fixation, and complacency contributed to the accident (Small, 2020). The crew became too focused on the planes automation systems and neglected their primary responsibility maintaining the aircrafts control and stability. This lack of situational awareness ultimately led to the crash.
Flying the plane first is important because it ensures that the crews primary responsibility can be neglected because of other tasks and distractions. In aviation, there are numerous responsibilities that a crew must perform, but in emergency situations, quick action and clear thinking are crucial. By prioritizing flying the aircraft first, the crew can ensure they are in the best position to respond to potential threats and prevent accidents. Additionally, focusing on flying the plane first helps to maintain a safe and controlled flight, ensuring the safety of passengers and crew.
In conclusion, it is not for nothing that there is a proverb for pilots that reminds flying the plane first is the primary task that must be prioritized for safety reasons. In modern, comfortable, and reliable aircraft, it is easy to forget that the crews main task is maintaining awareness of what is happening through well-coordinated communication and making the most appropriate and effective decisions. Neglecting the flying the aircraft first principle has led to many accidents and disasters due to human factors. One of these is the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash, which occurred during an ordinary aircraft landing. Especially in an emergency, pilots must be able to discard everything superfluous and extraneous and focus on the main task.
References
Federal Aviation Administration. (2018). Fly the Plane First. FAA Safety Briefing, 18(7), 1-7. Web.
Small, A. (2020). Human factors analysis and classification system (HFACS): as applied to Asiana airlines flight 214. The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research, 10(1), 18. Web.
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