To that end some education in the use of the system may be warranted. In the same vein, the ability to elicit additional data from reporters without threat can allow amplification and more complete analysis. However, there are serious limitations with the data from a proactive stance. The DFDR readout does provide information on the frequency of exceedences and the locations where they occur, but these data cannot yield information on the human behaviors that were precursors of the event. Ideally, the DFDR data tracks potential systemic problems, and pilot reports provide the context within which to fully diagnose the problems.
Data are only of use if they are employed to achieve organizational goals.
If for example, maintenance problems are a significant contributor to operational problems and error, should that take priority over flight training. We might argue that it is exactly in such an environment that CRM may provide essential countermeasures to increase safety. But ultimately, it is the organization that needs to define its own needs and plan of action. As we have indicated, we feel that effective programs to enhance safety need to be developed and implemented at the local level. But this does not mean that every airline must work in isolation and reinvent the wheel.