You are likely aware of NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS), which can give you a “get out of jail free”-card if you self report a mistake you’ve made during a flight. What you may not be aware of is that the ASRS publishes the submitted stories, anonymously of course, in a newsletter and in a searchable database. These are terrific resources that can help you learn from others’ mistakes.
The searchable database allows you to limit your search to certain parameters, such as a variety of flight conditions, phases of flight, types of aircraft, locations and more. The stories cover all sizes of aircraft models, from light singles to multi-engine jets.
ASRS also has a monthly newsletter called Callback that focuses in on a particular issue and is aimed at improving pilots’ decision-making skills through critical thinking. Each newsletter has a theme and covers several incidents submitted by pilots flying vastly different types of airplanes. You can access previous issues of Callback on the ASRS website.
The information you’ll glean from ASRS will not only help you avoid incidents, it will also help you avoid trouble with the FAA. Our own Peter Garrison will help you avoid more serious mistakes through his monthly column Aftermath, which covers fatal accidents, and is well worth including in your regular reading habits, if you don’t already.
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