14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
For Linguists, Pilots, and Air Traffic Controllers Only, April 2, 2004
"Fatal Words" is a totally unique book, and it is impossible to pigeonhole. Is it a book on transformational grammar for linguists? Is it a book of miscommunications, and the resultant impact on aviation safety? Is it a book on computer programming? Actually, it's all three. I bought the book to read from an air safety standpoint, given that I am an airline pilot. I found the book very interesting but very tough reading in parts, and occasionally a bit unfocused. The book is in three parts, plus a very long technical appendix. The first part concerns itself with language use, and includes many examples from not only NTSB Accident Reports, but from ASRS 'Callback' (published by NASA) that were from incidents. Although I generally agree on all his points and would highly encourage all pilots and Air Traffic Controllers to heed his warnings (and to examine their speech for potential errors of the types Dr. Cushing points out) there are a couple of minor exceptions I take to statements he makes or assumptions he has about pilot-controller language use, particularly in reference to the word "hold" in the Air California gear up landing accident. Overall, though, it is a brilliant analysis. Part two is similar to part one in that it focuses on communication problems not related to language (numbers, radios, etc.). Both parts one and two are four chapters long per part. The analysis in part two is my favorite part of the book, and relates issues such as transposed digits, limitations of radios, the 10 versus 11 problem so common in altitude violations, etc. This is the part that has unparalleled insight into pilot-controller communications interactions and the foibles that can result. Every pilot and controller should read part two.
Part three deals with proposed solutions to the problem, and in this section he details a machine that can interpret language, check grammar, sentence structure, and meaning before allowing a message to be transmitted. He admits that this is a long time in the future, and proposes a short term data link system. I realize the machine he developed, while excellent research, is a prototype, but with all respect to the efforts of Dr. Cushing and his graduate students, I feel he may be barking up the wrong tree. The constructs of the machine are so complex, and the commands and menu options he envisions are so unwieldy that I can't imagine a machine that checks grammar and content of every transmission, and won't (at least to my understanding) let any non-database words pass its parser, being fast enough to keep up with the Air Traffic Control needs of Jackson, MS, much less LaGuardia at five in the afternoon. I am absolutely not closed minded on this subject, and am a huge proponent of CPDLC, which was in testing by American Airlines and Miami Center last year. I would love to see a revised edition of the book (it was published in 1994) with the latest technology added and the computer programs he developed to be updated and possibly integrated with CPDLC. The appendix is a very detailed (excruciating to a non-computer programmer) explanation of the constructs of his lab test system containing two computers that could converse with each other via the data link system and menus he developed. I read it, but only marginally grasped the material. The appendix information is best ignored by pilots and controllers, although it is probably very insightful to programmers and linguists.
Overall it is the best book I have seen on the role of communications in aviation accidents, and I give it four stars for two reasons only: one, it diverges into a computer programming book in the last third of the text, which I had not expected given the summaries of the work I had read; and two, Dr. Cushing numbers every line of transcript throughout the book and then makes reference to that numbered line in the discussion. This is fine when the discussion is near the quotation, but often he refers to a line number that you read about fifty pages earlier instead of reprinting the quotation which makes the reader fumble back and forth looking for the line in question. This is an excellent work overall, just understand that it is technical reading and requires a basic understanding of 'aviation English' and grammar to fully comprehend the author's discussions and analyses. I eagerly look forward to reading more by Dr. Cushing in the future.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
EVERY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER SHOULD READ THIS, October 13, 2001
This review is from: Fatal Words: Communication Clashes and Aircraft Crashes (Hardcover)
In Fatal Words, Cushing describes the many ways flights can be placed in jeopardy through ambiguities of the English language. He cites real examples from around the world. A pilot told one thing may well interpret it to mean another. The cases included are quite interesting. Every air traffic controller should read it. I am not sure how to rate this book, though, because it is intended more for computer scientists and specialists than for readers like myself. The conclusions he draws and the solutions he offers must be analyzed by others with more knowledge of the subject. Readers looking for specific information on air disasters, though, should look elsewhere.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Insight, April 2, 2000
This book provides very good insight into the flaws that surround the communication systems used for air traffic control sometimes aggrevated by pilots and controllers not abiding by strict aviation terminology. Also highlights errors due to language barrier difficulties between pilots and air traffic controllers. Very good entertainment and educational material for those interested in the subject! I have read this book before from a friend and ordering it from amazon to read again and keep!
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