Cultural Differences in Asia – 4 Communication Lessons from Asiana Flight 214

I have a theory that 95% of all issues and problems in organizations, when dissected to the core, can be attributed to miscommunication. Multinational companies in Asia experience this even more due to cultural differences and language barriers adding on to the issue. Most of the time communication mistakes in companies are limited to delays, failure and cost consequences. However, in some industries miscommunication can cause fatalities.

This list of 10 Deadliest Air Disasters Caused by Miscommunication reveals that issues in miscommunication within the cockpit or with the tower resulted in numerous casualties and loss of life. On 6th July 2013, Asiana Airline Flight 214 crash landed in San Francisco.  It was a direct flight from Incheon, Korea to San Francisco, USA. The Boeing 777 aircraft had 307 people on board and was flown by three experienced officers, Captain Lee Jeong-min (the lead instructor pilot), Captain Lee Kang-kook (the trainee flying pilot) and Captain Bong Dong-won (relief pilot). The plane came in below the glide path and its landing gear slammed a seawall before the runway. The impact ripped off the back of the plane causing it to spin and skid to a stop. Three people were killed, 181 were injured – 12 critically. The full investigation report can be read here.

Asians, in particular, value their culture highly. Though this is generally considered positive to society, the consequences in workflows, especially during crisis management, can be unpredictable. The miscommunication due to cultural differences in the cockpit found during the investigation proved to be some of the key reasons why this flight may have crashed. Below are 4 communication lessons we all can learn from the incident.

1. Speak Up! The Consequences of Staying Quiet May be Terrible

First, pilot Lee Kang-kook was responsible for landing the plane safely without any instrument landing aids. Interviews later revealed that he lacked confidence. It was his first landing in San Francisco and he hadn’t finished his training hours on the Boeing 777. When asked why he didn’t express any of those concerns to his crew members he stated that he didn’t want to embarrass himself.

Had he said something, perhaps this disaster could have been avoided. You must speak up in emergencies because what you say could just change the direction of a very important decision. 

2. When Not Heard – Keep Trying Until You Are!

Second, the plane was flying too low and slow at the time of landing. The relief first officer, Bong Dong-won, who was sitting behind Lee Kang-kook (the trainee flying pilot) and Lee Jeong-min (lead instructor pilot) said he did notice the quick loss of altitude of the plane. He did voice his concern 4 times but neither the pilot nor the instructor pilot responded to his concerns.

Maybe they didn’t hear him? It’s possible. What if on the 5th or 6th time they would have? Maybe he could have tapped their shoulders or yelled louder. The point being that if you’re not heard when you have something important to say, you have to keep trying until you are.

3. Focus on What the Job Requires – Not What Other People Will Think of You

Third, in his statements pilot Lee Kang-kook said that he had been blinded during landing by a piecing light coming from outside the aircraft. Asked whether he wore sunglasses in the cockpit, he said he didn’t “because it would have been considered impolite to wear them when he was flying with his instructor”.

Many of us are guilty of not doing what’s right because we worry about how others may react. Nowhere is this more important than in Asia, where respect for superiors is an integral part of the culture. But the right thing to do is often the hardest and sometimes the most culturally taboo thing. You simply have to know when the risks of inaction are too great.

4. Know the Line of Command – And If you’re Not Clear, Ask!

Fourth, only 7 seconds before the crash the crew recognized that the plane was going too slow for a safe landing. Lee Kang-kook (the trainee flying pilot) called out a command to abort the landing just 3 seconds before the crash. During the investigation interviews the pilot acknowledged that he didn’t speak earlier because there was some confusion as to who could call a stop to the landing. He verified later that in Korean culture, they show respect to their superiors. Even though he was the flying pilot, he gave the authority to abort the landing to the senior instructor pilot.

Even with the confusion of the line of command, a simple question could have been asked: “Should we abort?” These 3 words voiced just few seconds earlier may have prevented the crash. I firmly believe there’s no such thing as a stupid question – better to be clear than sorry.

In the end the pilot did try to pull the plane up, just seconds before the impact, only to realize that his instructor had done the same without informing him. Though the crew had been practicing “cockpit resource management” training which encourages subordinates to speak out about safety concerns it didn’t have the impact needed for this particular flight. This crash only proves that cultural norms are not easily broken.

Even if it doesn’t always kill people, miscommunication due to cultural differences in Asia can cause damage to any business because of the diverse cultural potpourri. Are you aware of all the cultural norms that govern your workplace and the impact they can have? I’d love to hear your examples and stories.

Photo Credit: RomainBihore via Compfight