FAA Denies Pilot Communication Issues: “That’s Dumb, They’re Dumb”

I’ve written about HBO’s “The Rehearsal,” starring Nathan Fielder. The show is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, as it culminates with Fielder flying a real Boeing 737 full of actors, just to see what it’s like to be a pilot. I can’t recommend the show enough, with the caveat that Fielder is a quirky guy, and you need to see the whole show through, since it’s easy to fall off after an episode or two.

Anyway, the show is all about aviation safety, and specifically, about how issues with pilot communication contribute to some aviation accidents. Given the popularity of the show, it seems that Fielder and regulators are now having a bit of a spat over the show’s premise.

FAA baselessly denies the entire premise of The Rehearsal

The premise of Season 2 of The Rehearsal is that pilot communication issues are a contributing factor to many aviation accidents. More specifically, the problem is that first officers often aren’t comfortable speaking up to captains, even when they see something that’s wrong.

I think it’s hard to deny that reality, and there are a countless number of accidents that prove his point (in the first episode, they even have recreations of those accidents, based on cockpit voice recorder data). Fielder even teamed up with John Goglia, a former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member, who agrees with his conclusion.

Unfortunately the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) apparently disagrees with Fielder’s conclusion, claiming it doesn’t see the data that supports the show’s central claim, that pilot communication issues are to blame for airline disasters. The FAA continued with the following statement:

“The Federal Aviation Administration requires all airline crewmembers (pilots and flight attendants) and dispatchers to complete Crew Resource Management training. They must complete this training before they begin working in their official positions and complete it on a recurring basis afterward.”

Fielder was confronted about this statement from the FAA during a CNN interview, and was asked for his opinion on the statement, to which he responded as follows:

“That’s dumb. They’re dumb. Here’s the issue: I trained to be a pilot. I’m a 737 pilot. I went through the training. The training is someone shows you a PowerPoint slide saying, ‘if you are a co-pilot and the captain does something wrong, you need to speak up about it.’ That’s all. That’s the training, and they talk about some crashes that happen, but they don’t do anything that makes it stick emotionally.”

Should we be surprised by the FAA’s response?

It’s by no means uniquely an American problem, but there’s simply no denying that communication issues between pilots have been a factor in many aviation accidents over the years. To be clear, no one claims it’s the only cause of accidents, but instead, it’s a contributing factor.

More often than not, the issue arises when a first officer is unwilling to speak up to a captain, rather than the other way around. While other pilot is supposed to feel comfortable speaking up, that often doesn’t actually reflect reality, given the general vibe in the cockpit, plus the dynamic.

As Fielder accurately points out in the show, when explaining why first officers often don’t speak up, “we’re all just people in the back of an Uber, looking to avoid an awkward conversation.”

Yes, pilots are trained about how to communicate, but there’s a difference between what you’re taught in a class, and how that information is implemented in person. Now, is Fielder’s exact roleplaying recommendation in the show the right solution? I don’t know, maybe not… actually, probably not. But his concern and conclusion is spot on, and I think most reasonable people wouldn’t disagree.

I’m not sure what to make of the FAA’s statement. Like, does the FAA really not think that pilot communication has been a factor in some major accidents? The way I view it, there are a few possible explanations:

• The FAA is mincing words, claiming that communication isn’t to “blame” for accidents, rather than it being a contributing factor
• The FAA is downright incompetent, and/or this statement just came from a spokesperson, without much consultation with someone actually familiar with this topic
• The FAA doesn’t actually want to make any changes or open up this can of worms, because it’s easier to just ignore it

Bottom line

The Rehearsal did an incredible job examining aviation safety, all while being part of a comedy show. While people can reasonably disagree on whether Nathan Fielder’s exact proposal makes sense, most people should be able to agree on the premise, which is that pilot communication issues have contributed to accidents over the years, and that this should be looked into.

Oddly, the FAA seems to be in full-on denial mode, claiming that they don’t agree with that premise. That sure makes you wonder.

What do you make of the FAA’s statement, and Fielder’s response?