Cockpit Resource Management Proficiency as a Factor of Primary Flight Training

Since the first dual piloted aircraft flew in 1911, aircrew have been attempting to communicate with one another in the cockpit. As aircraft have become more sophisticated the demands placed on crew members have increased dramatically. Aircrews have become more than manipulators of the controls, they now must consider all factors which may effect a flight from A to B. Often these factors will occur even before the aircraft leaves the ground. However, as the sophistication of aircraft has increased, little attention has been devoted toward the human factor in aviation. Statistics show that flight crews are responsible for approximately 80% of the accidents that occur. The boom in technology and the resulting 'changing role of flight crew as managers and decision makers rather than continuous manipulators of the controls' have brought about a new term in aviation, Cockpit Resource Management (CRM). CRM attempts to explain and address the need and importance of 'the communication process in the cockpit, and an analysis of the flight crew as a system, rather than as isolated individuals'. With such a large percentage of aircraft accidents resulting from crew error, it is important to ask if CRM skills can be effectively taught to pilots. This paper will address the effectiveness of the flight training programs within the Naval Air Training Command at instilling CRM skills to newly designated flight personnel.