Releasing the Hook on the Copilot's Catch 22

Abstract

The P.A.C.E. operational methodology presented here is designed to assist subordinate crew members in resolving the basic question of the junior airman: “To Intervene or Not to Intervene?.” The P.A.C.E. system has unraveled “The Copilot's Catch 22: You are damned if you ignore the Captain's mistakes; you are damned if you do something about them.”

The four operational procedure steps of P.A.C.E. establish a systematic intervention progression of inquiries to reduce risks at each level of the sequence. The P.A.C.E. skills enable subordinate flight crew members to use proven operationally based procedures to effectively intervene when a Captain is not performing up to reasonable professional standards.

P.A.C.E. procedures have been developed from case studies of voice recorder transcripts of National Transportation Safety Board aircraft accident reports. The P.A.C.E. methodology provides the skill and knowledge to implement new, operationally relevant components into Crew Resource Management training for each individual organization.