Use of Second Language and Aviation Safety 1
Use of Second Language and Aviation Safety: Analysis of Fatal Miscommunication
and Attempts for Prevention
The recently accelerating globalization has caused dynamic physical movement of
people across the traditional borders. As one of its means, the importance of air transportation,
especially that of international, has also greatly increased. In this area, needless to say, the
most crucially ever-lasting concern is safety. Despite the fact that there have been enormous
efforts made in the field, we still hear tragic air accidents. Since air transportation is a highly
systematic aggregation of technologies, the efforts have been made to improve the system that
includes aircraft, maintenance facilities, airports, and navigation aids.
However, one of the ever-lasting problems that frequently leads to accidents is
miscommunication, chiefly between pilots and air-traffic controllers. A Boeing accident
prevention study found that miscommunication between pilot and controller contributed to at
least 11% of fatal airplane crashes worldwide in the period of 1982-1991 (Ritter, 1996, p.
7A).Connell (1996) analyzes the initial five-year period of the NAS Aviation Safety
Reporting System and reports that “over 70 per cent of the reports submitted noted problems
in the transfer in information in the aviation system” (p. 20). Communication, especially
between pilots and air-traffic controllers, remains definitely crucial. It is indisputable that
modern, large and high-speed airplanes cannot fly by themselves at all. They always need
support from air-traffic control (ATC). In addition, the amount of air traffic, especially in
busy airspaces around big terminals, has become way greater than it was few decades ago.
Although pilots and air-traffic controllers today are extensively utilizing high-tech equipments
to manage ATC, such as inertia navigation system and global positioning system, the
importance of voice communication mainly through the radio remains crucial, or becomes
Convention