First of Two Parts • Second Part: Speaking Outside the Box
Did language proficiency and language use play a contributory role in the 2006 collision of an Embraer Legacy 600 and a Boeing 737-800 over the Amazon rain forest? A linguistic analysis of the evidence provided in the accident investigation reports suggests that a number of subtle — but significant — language factors helped create an atmosphere in which a series of communication failures were allowed to develop.
However, most accident investigations — and this one was no exception — do not adequately examine language factors because accident investigators typically do not have the background training required to perceive any but the most blatant language errors.
The Brazilian Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) led the investigation of the Sept. 29, 2006, collision of the Legacy — just purc…
