BSAS 210 - Week 4 Blog Assignment

Lack Of Knowledge: The Silent Significant Threat to Aviation Safety


November 13,2025


Often enough with repetition, constant training and automation, pilots can become full of themselves. If 
you do something so much and so often you can start to believe you know it all, this a dangerous attitude to have and is a part of the dirty dozen. A lack of Knowledge, is a human error that poses a significant threat to aviation Safety. 

There is usually two types of knowledge, one is the right kind which focuses on directives and information provided usually in the form of a manuals,briefings, training or something similar and then there is the second kind the one that we often hear which is not by the book but, by experience or habit. This is the kind that you pick up on, were taught or you've observed which is usually a short cut or a more efficient, effective way of doing things. The problem with the first kind is that its usually more tedious and requires more time, while the second way doesn't cover you and may not always yield the best results but usually gets the job done faster or easier. 

A lack of knowledge can cause a pilot to bite off more than he could chew.  Sometimes pilots may be used to a specific type of aircraft and when trying to fly another in the same way, they don't factor in the differences of the aircraft itself like weight, speed, instrumentation and so on. This can prove to be a fatal flaw. As an Aviation Boatswains Mate Handler in the Navy, I personally witnessed a transition of F-14 Tomcat pilots transitioning over to the F/A 18 F Super Hornets due to a phase out. The instrumentation is different, the handling, the speed, everything about the plane is different including its practical use. This type of transition is like having to start from scratch and daunting for some pilots leading them to the point of retiring early.

I believe that having the proper knowledge and aptitude to take on a responsibly such as flying requires and demands a methodical approach with safety in mind. The Aviation world is like no other and once you in the sky everything matters.

References 

Safety Directorate, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command. (2024, March 1). Lack of knowledge | The Dirty Dozen: Common human error factors in aircraft maintenance mishaps.

https://www.safety.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3774180/lack-of-knowledge-the-dirty-dozen-common-human-error-factors-in-aircraft-mainte/





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BSAS 210 - Week 4 Blog Assignment

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