Lack Of Assertiveness

Any pilot whos flown in the system much knows air traffic controllers can be intimidating. The very use of the term controller implies a level of authority over pilots, which often translates into the mindset that pilots always must comply with a controllers instructions, or else. Thats true to an extent, but the pilot is always the final authority as to the operation of the aircraft. It says so, right there in FAR 91.3

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Thursday, May 24, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Pilots are the final authority on aircraft operation and can refuse or modify Air Traffic Control (ATC) instructions when safety or workload are compromised, despite potential intimidation.
A fatal Cirrus SR20 accident highlighted the dangers of pilots overly complying with a complex series of rapid ATC instructions, which contributed to excessive workload and an improper go-around procedure leading to a stall.
The NTSB determined the accident's probable cause was the pilot's improper go-around, with contributing factors including controllers' complex instructions and the pilot's lack of assertiveness in managing the high workload and declining unfeasible clearances.

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Any pilot who’s flown “in the system” much knows air traffic controllers can be intimidating. The very use of the term “controller” implies a level of authority over pilots, which often translates into the mindset that pilots always must comply with a controller’s instructions, or else. That’s true to an extent, but the pilot is always the final authority as to the operation of the aircraft. It says so, right there in FAR 91.3

A lot of the intimidation stems from being told to do something we don’t want to do: change altitude, fly a heading, accept a new routing. Doing so often is inconvenient or requires effort we don’t want to make. (It can be an unnecessary burden to reach up and twist the heading bug 30 degrees.) And the party-line environment of ATC communications means that not only is there a tape running, but other pilots on the frequency will hear you if you get yelled at. That can be embarrassing.