Roraima Airways CEO Captain Gerry Gouveia Snr is urging flight crews to manage fatigue honestly, avoid the normalisation of deviance and speak up when something does not feel right, in a safety message issued following a string of recent aviation accidents.
His call comes amid several serious accidents and incidents in recent months involving respected operators, experienced crews, modern aircraft and organisations with strong safety cultures.
“The next accident is always someone who never expected it to happen to them,” he said, warning that the routine nature of daily flying could erode the vigilance needed to maintain safety.
Gouveia called on crews to remain disciplined in their procedures and never allow external pressures to influence sound aeronautical decision-making.
“If you see something, say something. If something does not feel right, speak up,” he said, adding that pilots and aviation personnel should raise concerns about aircraft, procedures, weather-related decisions, maintenance issues or operational practices.
“Silence is a killer,” Gouveia said, noting that many accidents were preceded by warning signs that were recognised by someone but never communicated.
He urged crew members to look out for one another, challenge each other respectfully when necessary and support one another in making safe decisions.
“Safety is not simply a department, a manual or a programme. It is a daily commitment shared by every member of our team,” he said, adding that no schedule, passenger, mission or commercial consideration outweighs the safety of crews and passengers.
Gouveia said every flight, whether a routine shuttle, charter, medevac mission or repositioning flight, deserves the same standard of professionalism.
