Is It Safe To Fly With A Single Pilot?

An ambitious HR Manager in an airline once said, ¡°Instead of wasting money on two pilots, let¡¯s fly with just one. Since we pay Co-pilots less, let¡¯s get rid of the Captains, and save money!¡±

Everyone laughed at that suggestion then. But not anymore!

In September 2022, EASA, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, commissioned a project to assess the possibility of flying commercial airlines with a single pilot.

Ostensibly, this was to reduce the impact of pilot shortage.

But is it safe to fly with a single pilot?

Although aviation accidents get more public attention, statistics prove it is the safest mode of transport.

Unsplash/Representational Image

Major reasons for that are well-trained pilots and reliable airplanes with multiple redundancies.

Redundancy means there is always a backup option available, because you cannot stop this vehicle on the roadside and await help.

Which is why we have at least 2 engines, and all the critical systems need standbys. For example, in my Boeing 737, we carry 3 radio sets and multiple navigation systems.

We must designate alternative airports for landing, and carry extra fuel to reach there.

And, most importantly, the cockpit has 2 pilots.

They back each other up during normal flying, and especially so during non-normal situations.

For every flight, we nominate a PF and a PM, which is Pilot Flying and Pilot Monitoring. The PF flies the plane, and the PM observes and monitors that everything is going as required, using detailed SOPs and checklists for every phase of flight.

Pilots work odd hours. It can be morning today, afternoon tomorrow and night the day after, often with minimum mandated rest between flights.

Human failings, like ego, fatigue, and emotions, can sometimes impair good judgement.

And despite everyone¡¯s best efforts, mistakes happen.

Modern airplanes are very reliable. But when something goes wrong, it creates the ¡®Startle Effect¡¯ because it is so rare and unexpected.

Unsplash/Representational Image

A startle delays response and can cause mistakes. This is when the Pilot Monitoring proves valuable.

¡®To err is human, to forgive, divine!¡¯ the saying goes. But there is no undo, redo, delete, or repeat in aviation.

Pilots undergo strict medicals every year, and, after the age of 60, every 6 months. Yet, at least two pilots, younger than me, went to sleep and never woke up.

There have been many cases of pilot incapacitation when one pilot collapsed at the controls in flight, and the other landed the plane.

Worse, in 2015, when the Captain left to use the toilet, a pilot in a European airline locked the cockpit door from inside, and deliberately crashed the airplane, killing all 150 people on board.

Couldn¡¯t it have been avoided?

The EASA study cost 930,000 Euros, which is over 7 Crore Rupees.

Let us do a study with just 7 questions.

1. Can airplanes be 100% reliable?

2. Is anything 100% reliable?

3. Can the pilots be efficient all the time?

4. Are you efficient all the time?

5. Can the autopilot handle every situation?

6. Is it safe to fly with a single pilot?

7. Do we even need to ask the seventh question?

I see you agreeing with me.

Well, so did the EASA, without even reading this article!

And now they have postponed the plan till 2030.

Until then, happy flying!