Barriers to Intra-Aircraft Communication and Safety: The Perspective of the Flight Attendants

Abstract

Failures of communication and teamwork between cabin crew and flight deck crew have been implicated in a number of fatal accidents involving commercial aircraft. This study was designed to identify perceived barriers to effective teamwork and communication between pilots and flight attendants in airline operations. The nominal group technique (NGT) was used to gather data from 18 flight attendant focus groups involving 100 flight attendants operating on both narrow-bodied and wide-bodied jet aircraft from a major air carrier. The NGT focus group methodology generated both barriers and solutions to communication from the flight attendant perspective in the following key areas: the locked flight deck door and interphone protocols; “sterile cockpit” standard operating procedures (SOPs); preflight briefings; knowledge of basic aircraft terminology; debriefings after incidents; and contractual differences in hotels, meals, and allowances. An emphasis on joint crew resource management (CRM) training between pilots and flight attendants provides the most appropriate way to address these perceived barriers. The solutions generated should be written into CRM and emergency procedures (EP) course content. Training opportunities should be provided to allow both flight deck and cabin crew a better understanding of the other's role and workload patterns.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We are extremely grateful for the extensive support and cooperation of the airline concerned. We should like to express our thanks to all the flight attendants who participated in the study. Jane Ford would like to thank the University of Otago for financial support to assist with the writing up of this study.

Notes

¹ Sterile cockpit refers to the requirement to limit communications on the flight deck to flight management and safety-critical tasks only below 10,000 ft during the climb and descent phases of flight. The term and the requirements had been in general use prior to the 9/11 incidents.