CRM Knowledge Base
The theory behind the reflex.
Ten concepts. Read them before the scenarios. Return to them after the debrief.
Concepts · 03
Task Fixation
What it is
Task fixation occurs when a crew member becomes so focused on one task that they lose awareness of the broader flight situation. Also called cognitive tunnelling, it is particularly common in high-workload phases — go-arounds, emergency checklists, unexpected ATC instructions — where one task demands total attention and everything else falls out of the pilot's awareness.
Why it happens
Human attentional resources are finite. Under stress the brain narrows its focus to the most immediately demanding task as a survival mechanism. This worked well for our ancestors. In a multi-crew aircraft it creates the conditions for nobody flying the plane while both pilots manage separate tasks with total concentration.
In the cockpit
Go-around initiated. Captain calls for gear up and flaps. You reach for the gear lever. The captain is managing the power and the pitch. ATC calls with a turn instruction. The captain reads it back. You have the gear up, you are moving to the flaps, the captain is on the radio — and somewhere in there, the missed approach altitude goes past without either of you calling it.
The counter-reflex
The PM's primary job in a go-around is not to execute every lever — it is to maintain the big picture while the PF flies the aircraft. If the task split is unclear, say it out loud immediately: "You have control — I have the calls and levers." One sentence. Five seconds. It reestablishes who is watching what.
From the reports
Composite patterns from public EASA, AAIB, BEA, and NTSB occurrence data.
OCCURRENCE PATTERN
During a go-around initiated at approximately 200ft, the crew entered a period of role confusion. The captain, who was pilot monitoring, began calling configuration items and also reached for the gear lever. The first officer, who was pilot flying, simultaneously managed thrust and pitch attitude. No explicit control callout was made. The missed approach altitude was exceeded by 340ft before the crew re-established coordinated operation. Contributing factor identified in the investigation: absence of explicit task allocation at go-around initiation.
Pattern composite — public occurrence database [BEA]
CRM finding: Task Fixation — Role ambiguity on go-around