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Sep
25
2025
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Posted 9 days ago ago by Admin
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Building a Just Culture in Rotorcraft Operations
By John Franklin, lead specialist communications and safety promotion, European Union Aviation Safety Agency
Imagine a twisted world where reporting a mistake doesn’t lead to a lesson learned, but to a lesson avoided—because no one felt safe enough to speak up. That's not just a missed opportunity, it’s a hidden risk waiting to become a headline.
In rotorcraft operations, where the margin for error can be razor-thin and operational conditions unpredictable, trust is more than a feel-good word—it’s the foundation of safety. And trust is built through culture.
From Reporting to Reflecting
In our last article, we talked about the importance of safety reporting—not just ticking the compliance box, but learning from what goes right and what goes wrong. But here's the follow-up question: What kind of environment actually makes people speak up honestly?
The answer lies in two powerful words: Just Culture.
A just culture is not a “no-blame” culture. It doesn’t let everything slide. Instead, it strikes a balance. It recognizes the difference between human error, at-risk behavour, and reckless conduct. In a just culture, the goal isn’t punishment—it’s learning.
The Trust Equation
Trust in aviation doesn’t just come from procedures and checklists—it comes from how people are treated when things go wrong. Trust happens when:
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Staff know they won’t be punished for honest mistakes.
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Groundcrew know they can admit confusion or flag a near-miss without being labelled incompetent.
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Engineers feel their insights won’t be ignored when they highlight recurring issues.
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Leaders are seen to act fairly and transparently when things go wrong.
If people don’t trust the system—or the people running it—they’ll stop feeding it. If reporting stops, you lose learning about the real risks in your operation.
Three Questions Every Organization Should Ask
To check if you're on the right track, ask:
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Do we respond to safety reports with curiosity or with judgment?
If your first instinct is “Who did this?” instead of “How did this happen?” and “How can we improve?”, you're steering away from trust.
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Are our teams confident they’ll be treated fairly?
A well-meaning pilot who busts a minimum in poor weather isn’t the same as someone cutting corners for convenience. Treating them the same drives reporting underground.
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Do we learn from what's going right?
Too often, we only analyse failures. But what about the maintenance crew who caught an issue just in time, or the decision to delay a departure that avoided a hazard? Share these too. It reinforces positive action.
Make Culture Visible
Just Culture isn’t just a slogan on a poster. It’s how things are really done when no one’s watching. Here’s how to make it real:
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Respond openly: When someone reports an incident, let them know what you’re doing with the information. Silence kills motivation.
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Be consistent: If your policy says you support open reporting but a mechanic gets sidelined for raising a concern, your policy means nothing.
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Train your leaders: Supervisors and line managers set the tone. Invest in their understanding of just culture—how to handle reports, how to distinguish error from recklessness, and how to keep trust alive.
Safety Decisions Are Human Decisions
In the end, safety isn't created in manuals—it’s created in conversations. That means we need an environment where speaking up is safe, listening is active, and trust runs in both directions.
When rotorcraft teams—from the flight line to the back office—feel supported, they make better choices. When leaders listen without blame, they uncover insights they’d never find in a spreadsheet, and when a just culture takes root, safety becomes something people do with the system, not for it.
In rotorcraft operations, trust doesn’t just improve safety. It lifts us all.
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