Help with a student fumbling checklists

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Gwt9678

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Gt1009
Hello All,

Hoping some of you other CFIs in here have some recommendations for me as I’m at a bit of a loss here. I have a student transitioning into a new aircraft that is having a lot of difficulty with checklist use. For context they have about 2500 hours across a few models of aircraft so a new airplane shouldn’t be a huge issue, especially as this one is very similar to what they were flying before. What I’m seeing is that they run their checklists, but either move an incorrect switch, or move a correct switch to an incorrect position. For instance a checklist item may state “move switch A to ARM position”. They will read the checklist, look at the switch, state “move to ARM”, but then move the switch to “ON” or “OFF”. I’ve tried walking through the checklist step by step, having them teach me the checklist, and even having them take photos of the panel and prepare a PowerPoint detailing critical items for each phase of flight in hopes that something will click, but after about 20 hours I’m still seeing one or two similar mistakes per flight. Any thoughts?
 
One of these for each checklist item he messes up


960b1c9ddfaacca5c61568f06880f457.jpg
 
Are they following the checklists by rote, or do they have an understanding of what the switches are doing and why? It's easy to move switch A to arm because a checklist says so, but why am I doing it? Maybe a little more in depth system and panel knowledge accompanied by slowing down and not being pressured to rush a checklist.
 
midwestpa24 said:
Are they following the checklists by rote, or do they have an understanding of what the switches are doing and why? It's easy to move switch A to arm because a checklist says so, but why am I doing it? Maybe a little more in depth system and panel knowledge accompanied by slowing down and not being pressured to rush a checklist.
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1000% this. Can they preflight without the checklist? maybe a couple practice runs without the checklist, each followed by then going back again with the checklist to verify?

Edit: muscle memory is extremely hard to change, if there are switches in similar location but different appropriate directions it’s going to take a lot of work on both your parts.
 
Gwt9678 said:
Hello All,

Hoping some of you other CFIs in here have some recommendations for me as I’m at a bit of a loss here. I have a student transitioning into a new aircraft that is having a lot of difficulty with checklist use. For context they have about 2500 hours across a few models of aircraft so a new airplane shouldn’t be a huge issue, especially as this one is very similar to what they were flying before. What I’m seeing is that they run their checklists, but either move an incorrect switch, or move a correct switch to an incorrect position. For instance a checklist item may state “move switch A to ARM position”. They will read the checklist, look at the switch, state “move to ARM”, but then move the switch to “ON” or “OFF”. I’ve tried walking through the checklist step by step, having them teach me the checklist, and even having them take photos of the panel and prepare a PowerPoint detailing critical items for each phase of flight in hopes that something will click, but after about 20 hours I’m still seeing one or two similar mistakes per flight. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Take the checklist away. Turn it into challenge/response. You challnege/student responds. You verify.
 
There are two methods that each have their benefits. One is to go down the list line by line and do each task. The other is to do all the items for that task and then read the List to see that you did them all.

Maybe have them try it the other way to see if they can do it. Sounds like they may not be able to, so that's where you can drill into them to READ, PERFORM, CONFIRM each item. Then move to the next item.
 
Have him read and then speak the item out loud. Having the brain process speech and then hearing it as he speaks it activates different parts of the brain. Then link speech to behavior. After speaking each item out loud, have him speak out loud on confirming his action e.g. "I am now locking the primer".

Also think of "Jobs to be Done". Break the check list into the natural breaks / groups found on the check list. Have him do each one 10 times. Then sequence the groups together.

AND.... Have him rent the plane for an hour. No flying. Just him sitting in the cockpit, practicing the check lists. No need for CFI, just him. Then he can show off his check list skills at your next lesson.

(Yeah, I got my degree in Industrial Psychology. Nerd - I know LOL)
 
Just want to say thanks for all the responses everyone! I conducted an in depth systems ground today and have broken down the checklist into small groups, analyzing each step with the student. Tomorrow I’ll be working with him again, wish me luck!
 
I find just sitting in my airplane by myself monkeying with the controls on the ground is helpful. Not on the clock.
 
Make up a “flow” to accomplish checklist items from memory, for which ever checklist. If mistakes suddenly disappear, you’ve found a smoking gun.

FAA loves checklists, so do the flow, back up with checklists, see if accuracy doesn’t improve.

If they don’t, just as telling but a whole nuther problem.

Probably gonna have to stop dead in tracks and prioritize that issue. Grunt through it. Make them go SLOWLY through it. Don’t allow a single mistake, whether using checklist or flow pattern. Tons and tons of repetition.

No matter the fix, I suspect tolerance of the errors somewhere in the past have created STRONG (bad) habits. Takes longer to get rid of a bad habit than to create it.
 
WDD said:
(Yeah, I got my degree in Industrial Psychology. Nerd - I know LOL)
Click to expand...
I took only one psychology class in college but became very interested in the subject later. Turns out it is extremely useful in flight training. Heck, one of my IFR articles talks about “implementation intentions.” Geeky enough?
 
FWIW, I encountered something similar. I was doing transition training for a pilot moving from a 172 to a 182. One of the easiest transitions around because of the many similarities. But, again and again and again, the pilot neglected to adjust cowl flaps. Two things were going on.

His "flow" was actually a memorization of the two main items on the before landing checklist for a 172, not a true flow considering everything changeable. So his hand would go right past the cowl flap lever but never stop there.

The other was, despite repeated "you are missing something" prompts from me, he not once went to the checklist for his answer. The checklist was sitting on the glareshield in his line of sight but his habit of not using it had internalized to such a degree that it did not exist for him.

So… my first question is, “what was their checklist use in the other airplane?” If the story is similar, it means he’s acquired a habit of ignoring the checklist and that will take dedicated work to break. I’ve seen some good ideas in this thread.
 
Think it's baked in to some of the other responses, but adding a "why" might be helpful. "I'm arming this switch because it does this which is needed in this phase of flight". We are about to land, so let's put down the gear so the plane is rolling on it's tires, not its belly.

Only other thought is the state of the checklist itself. The one that came with my plane from Checkmate has a pretty detailed list for each phase of flight. An example, "advance throttle" as part of take off, really?. One thought might be to have the student create his own checklist with the really critical items on it.
 
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