Deviation from procedures and checklists
What this relates to:
The increasing complexity of technology and systems on an aircraft requires precisely defined procedures and checklists to minimise the error rate of aircraft operation. These tools specify how the pilots should fly and how they should use the technology correctly.
Example:
The pilots are distracted by a call from the cabin crew. They forget to set the flaps while working through the checklists, so the flaps are still at zero degrees when the pilots press the button for the electronic configuration check. The alarm goes off. They acknowledge the alarm and set the flaps to the correct position. After the correction, the aircraft returns to normal operation.
Remarks on the 2024 figures:
Almost 95% of deviations from procedures and checklists occurred in commercial air transport, and the incident rate has remained stable over the last three years. In the area of recreational aviation, such deviations are reported much less frequently due to cultural factors, a reduced professional assessment of situations and a lack of awareness. No accidents or serious incidents were recorded in 2024 in this area, which includes delayed configuration or adjustment of spoilers, flaps, altimeter and aircraft trim or non-compliance with speed limits. Deviations from procedures and checklists can be caused by pilots getting distracted in the cockpit due to communication, noise, navigation or weather, thus resulting in missing or delayed actions during the flight. Such incidents occurred generally in all phases of flight, with one third observed in the approach phase.
