Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, Aviation Safety and Pilot Reporting Bias

Posted on July 9, 2014        

by Ted Roe
Executive Director
ted_roe@narcap.org

The primary focus of NARCAP investigations and activism is on the many aviation safety factors that accompany incidents and observations involving UAP. There is a bias within the US aviation system that does not allow for the free exchange of information about UAP (Roe, NARCAP Tech Report 8). The stigma of reporting a UAP incident or observation is so prevalent in the aviation community that many pilots wait until they retire before making a report, if they make a report.

The consequences of this failure to report include an inability to quickly acquire information from the FAA like audio recordings and hardcopy of encrypted radar data. Of greater concern is the failure of this information to be reviewed from a safety perspective by the
organizations most responsible for mitigating safety factors. The result is a loss of data about poorly documented phenomena that are contributing to aviation safety incidents.

In fact, the FAA inadvertently diverts information about UAP incidents away from its safety analysts by instructing pilots and air controllers to contact a civilian UFO reporting center if they think they have had an encounter with a UAP. With the exception of NARCAP, no pilot reports are being examined as potential safety incidents and there is no official concern for
mitigating the many different profiles of UAP as hazards to safe aviation. However, NARCAP’s confidential interviews of pilots and other aviation professionals indicate a high degree of concern and an interest in learning more about UAP.

In the process of promoting this issue inside the aviation safety community NARCAP has found itself in working exchanges with the FAA Aviation Safety Reporting System and other organizations dedicated to understanding aviation safety factors and mitigating risk for
pilots and the flying public.

Dr. Todd Curtis of Airsafe.com has published several articles about NARCAP and a recorded interview with Dr. Haines. Articles like these are very important because they allow for an open discussion regarding UAP and aviation safety where none was possible
before.

The Role of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in Airline Safety by Dr. Todd Curtis

http://www.airsafenews.com/2013/09/the-role-of-unidentified-aerial.html
NARCAP and Unexplained Phenomena by Dr. Todd Curtis

http://airsafe.com/issues/uap.htm
In Sept. of 2013, Airsafe.com published an interview with former NARCAP Science Chief Dr.
Haines and Dr. Todd Curtis of Airsafe.com