Chapter 10 - Crew Resource Management (CRM) and Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA)

Abstract

CRM covers a wide range of knowledge, skills, and abilities including communications, teamwork, situational awareness, decision-making, and leadership. CRM is the management of all resources—hardware, software, and human-ware—to maximize safety and efficiency in flight operations. This chapter opens up with the general description of Crew Resource Management (CRM), and then defines the term “company operations plan” as the plan flight crews' execute to fly every flight to a safe conclusion. When flight crews use their CRM skills to execute their flight plan, it is intended to result in a safe operation. Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) observation measures the variance in the safety margin, based on flight crew performance. The aim of this chapter is to provide a working understanding of CRM and LOSA—how both programs integrate and support safety goals in aviation. Intentional non-compliance is the most serious form of performance drift and data show three times the number of mismanaged threats and errors for crews that participate in intentional non-compliance. CRM and LOSA are forever strongly linked in the TEM taxonomy.