Navigating the Skies: Unraveling Communication Challenges in Diverse Aviation Accidents

Abstract

Effective communication is the lifeline of aviation safety, serving as the cornerstone for preventing accidents, mitigating crises, and ensuring seamless coordination among diverse stakeholders within the complex and dynamic aviation environment. The aim of this study is to provide a qualitative analysis of the 10 fatal accidents in aviation history and incidents and accidents that occurred in the past 10 years registered by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The content analysis of the reports of the fatal accidents and reports of the 48 events identified in the accident database search revealed themes such as miscommunication between flight crew members, challenges in emergent situations, and communication breakdowns with ATC. These findings align with existing literature, emphasizing the pivotal role of communication in aviation safety. The study offers recommendations to invest in CRM training, standardized phraseology, and advanced communication technologies for aviation safety. Future research directions include exploring human-machine interaction, artificial intelligence, and communication in Unmanned Aerial Systems. Moreover, grounded in these findings, airline companies can infer practical implications such as improved safety, operational efficiency, stress reduction, cost savings, regulatory compliance, and trust-building, thereby emphasizing the industry's commitment to continuous improvement in navigating the complexities of aviation communication.