Order 6325830 Accident Case Study #1 FLT

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Karachi School for Business & Leadership *

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210

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Business

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Nov 24, 2024

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Surname 1 Student’s name Professor’s name Course Date Accident Case Study #1 FLT The crisis at the Tenerife Airport on March 27, 1977, remains one of the most tragic encounters ever in aviation history, considering that it led to the loss of 583 people. However, the collision between Pan Am Flight 1736 and KLM Flight 4805 could have been avoided as they were contributed by various factors, starting from communication to leadership failures. Leadership plays a significant role in the success of any company, and it is determined by steps taken to communicate any arising issues. Any company has a legal obligation to protect its clients, which implies that this case study has remained a learning lesson for the aviation industry to take the necessary steps to avoid such incidents from happening. Therefore, the discussion will comprehensively analyze the misses that influenced the Tenerife Airport Disaster, especially in the first officer and captain's leadership, communication, and crew resource management. In the first place, before the incident happened, there was a communication failure between the two flight crew and air traffic control. Inadequate radio communication led to misunderstanding and confusion at Los Rodeos airport due to the dense fog in the air. Thus, the communication between air traffic control and flight crews received lapses of information, which could not direct them on the next move to take. Such a high-pressure situation requires those in a communication system to be precise and avoid ambiguous information to enhance a safe operation. Unfortunately, due to the dense fog, it became a challenge to maintain a safe operation
Surname 2 (Air crash disaster at Tenerife, Canary Islands on March 27, 1977, 226). However, the primary issue in this case is that aviation communication depends on standardized phraseology and terms used to ensure universal understanding. Hence, the Tenerife disaster subjected both crews to be under stress due to the urgency of leaving, which was part of their communication norms. Also, unclear language led to communication breakdown as in the fogy condition; there was a limitation in the use of visual cues, which the Los Rodeos Airport could have adopted. Besides, this case study has shown the essential for adhering to standardized communication protocols, especially when experiencing an adverse condition. For instance, using non-standard phraseology and unclear communication could increase pressure, worsening the situation. Standardized communication is the key factor in managing a disaster. Also, with the advancement of technology, the aviation industry has improved radio communication systems to ensure the transmission of information is clear between the crews and ATC. The advancements are incorporated in the aviation industry through training the workers to have relevant skills in communication to avoid errors from happening in the contemporary era. Another important contributing factor to this disaster was leadership failure due to the management's authoritarian style and lack of situational awareness. For instance, the KLM captain used an authoritarian leadership style where the decision-making process was top-down, with little open communication and collaboration among workers (Kolander 407). Also, the first officer did not question the captain assertively before taking off because they rarely questioned their authority. The challenges in the leadership were the primary cause for not discussing the necessary possible solutions that could have been adopted to evade the disasters. Both flight crews' lack of situational awareness was crucial for effective leadership. The foggy conditions demanded that all the leaders provide solutions for navigating the crowded runway instead of
Surname 3 forcing things to happen as scheduled. The KLM captain failed in situational awareness to evaluate the situation and movement of the Pan Am aircraft, which led to this fatal collision. Omitting current technology, such an incidence could not happen today, considering several factors have been incorporated into the aviation industry to increase safety. For instance, modern communication systems have been advanced to ensure clear and reliable transmissions. The integration of digital voices, various frequency alternatives, and enhanced signal processing can help reduce the occurrence of misunderstandings. Also, using GPS in aircraft has enhanced navigation and surveillance, reducing the likelihood of misunderstanding and runway incursion. Modern aircraft have advanced weather forecasting and monitoring, which aids the pilot in getting updated on weather conditions and making informed decisions on the tile to take. Another factor that has ensured there is reduced fatal accident at the airport is enhanced Crew Resource Management (CRM), where pilots are trained in effective teamwork, communication, and conflict resolution skills (Singh and Green par.5). Thus, through proper training programs, aviation safety protocols, and operational procedures, the aviation industry has limited the accidents that could happen due to the issues raised in this case study. In summary, the Tenerife Airport accident remains a significant learning event for the aviation industry to enhance its communication and leadership strategy by integrating CRM into the operation system. As shared in the analysis, lack of situational awareness, inadequate communication, and poor leadership style influenced the occurrence of the accident. However, modern aviation has emphasized effective communication and open leadership to prevent similar incidents from happening again. Thus, the lesson from the case study remains critical for the aviation industry to focus on safety as their solemn responsibility .
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Surname 4 Works Cited
Surname 5 “Air crash disaster at Tenerife, Canary Islands on 27 March 1977.” Air and Space Law , vol. 2, no. Issue 4, 1977, pp. 226–227, https://doi.org/10.54648/aila1977046. Kolander, Candace K. “Flight and cabin crew teamwork.” Crew Resource Management , 2019, pp. 407–420, https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-812995-1.00014-2. Singh, Sumit, and Patricia Green. “The Tenerife Disaster: A Cabin Crew Perspective.” Simple Flying , 24 Mar. 2023, simpleflying.com/tenerife-disaster-cabin-crew-perspective/.