Foreign pilots in India have language problems
Country:
India
Source:
Foreign pilots facing language trouble
Sandeep Phukan
© 2004 NDTV.
Monday, March 20, 2006 (New Delhi):
Story:
With the rapid expansion of the aviation industry in India, local airlines have to rely on pilots from non English speaking countries. This can create, and does create, communication problems especially with air traffic controllers.
The CEO of an Indian airline said that two planes collided on the runway because of a language error.
Facts:
- 200 foreign pilots have been employed by Indian domestic airlines.
- IATA only has language guidelines, language standardisation will be introduced in 2008.
- DGCA is randomly checking flight data recorders to find out what goes on in the cockpit.
Language Issues:
- Language has a direct causal effect on safety.
- Could it be that in critical situations any level of foreign language skills are not enough or not as good as a native speaker’s language skills?
- Can language be standardised?
- A standardised language system must still test for the candidate’s ability to express ideas and not necessarily for the accuracy of syntax (i.e. grammar structure.). Syntax alone does not guarantee accuracy of message, it is the easiest to text and formulate.
Comments:
- What are the costs of introducing a system that genuinely tests for language skills?
- What would the Public Relations cost be for the Indian domestic airline industry should there be a serious air accidents involving international passengers?
- Why isn’t India producing more home trained pilots?
- How many similar language critical jobs exist in the modern world?
Bottom-Line:
Should language become a reportable factor in safety incidents? What would be the extra insurance and training costs?
Pilots’ English contributed to cockpit confusion
Country:
Cyprus; Greece
Source:
Crew confusion found in Athens plane crash
By Don Phillips, International Herald Tribune
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2005
Story:
In a cockpit emergency on a flight between Cyprus and Greece, the pilots had difficulty understanding each other because their English was not fluent enough.
It is suggested that this language problem complicated the confusion in the cockpit. The plane eventually crashed killing all on board.
English is the official language of traffic control.
Facts:
- 121 people died
- one Boeing 737 lost
Language Issues:
- With more people learning English as a second language one would expect huge differences in language skills.
- Are present English language tests or selection processes adequate to test a pilot’s English.
- With more non-native English speakers qualifying as pilots, are the language skills criteria good enough today?
- Do the language tests depend heavily on written skills and not enough on speaking skills?
- Are there enough people who can coach and check a pilot’s English language skills?
- Should language skills also be tested during flight simulator training?
- How much are safety standards compromised by different language standards?
Comments:
- Are pilot training standards the same throughout the world?
- What other safety standards are compromised with the fast growth in air travel?
- The report suggested that the original problem was due to a maintenance fault. Are ground technicians suitably qualified?
- In many counties working in aviation is considered a prestigious job with a lot of status and kudos. Is enough attention being paid in these countries to remember what flying is all about?
Bottom-Line:
Would you fly on a plane if you knew that the pilots could not communicate well with each other?
