Tea parties to warm up mid-air talk

Mumbai: To improve communication between pilots and the air traffic controller (ATC), pilots from three leading domestic carriers have begun an informal process to iron out the differences. Pilots and air traffic managers will discuss safety issues such as language shortcomings, accent differences and aviation jargon in a series of candid tea parties that will be held across the country.
A month ago, the country’s aviation regulator had asked pilots and the ATC to brush up their communication skills. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had cited a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) report, which stated that 80% of aircraft accidents occur because of incorrect information exchanged between the ATC and pilots, and 33% because critical data is not shared.
The communication gap has led to near mishaps in the past. In 2009, the ATC failed to alert a Kingfisher pilot about the runway being wet. The aircraft skid at the Mumbai airport putting the lives of 42 passengers at risk. The DGCA’s probe found that an Air India pilot had alerted the ATC about water on the runway, but the controller did not understand the message.
04/07/11 Soubhik Mitra/Hindustan Times

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Categories: Airports Jul 2011, Indian Aviation- In General Jul 2011, New Jul 2011