Why the radio was working — but the message still failed
Contents
Use the links below to jump to any section:
- Why Communication Fails More Often Than Equipment
- Failure Pattern 1 – Silence Mistaken for Agreement
- Failure Pattern 2 – Orders Heard but Not Understood
- Failure Pattern 3 – Late or Absent Escalation
- Failure Pattern 4 – Informal Language in Critical Moments
- Failure Pattern 5 – Wrong Channel, Wrong Audience
- Failure Pattern 6 – Readback Dropped Under Pressure
- Failure Pattern 7 – Assumptions About “Who’s Handling It”
- Why These Failures Repeat
- Turning Failure Patterns into Barriers
1. Why Communication Fails More Often Than Equipment
In most maritime accidents:
- radios functioned
- power was available
- channels were open
The failure occurred between people, not between systems.
Communication fails because it relies on:
- shared assumptions
- timing
- clarity under stress
When margins shrink, those dependencies break first.
2. Failure Pattern 1 – Silence Mistaken for Agreement
One of the most common phrases in investigations is implied, not spoken:
“Nobody objected.”
Silence is often interpreted as:
- understanding
- agreement
- confidence
In reality, silence often means:
- uncertainty
- hesitation
- social pressure not to interrupt
When silence replaces confirmation, errors propagate unchecked.
3. Failure Pattern 2 – Orders Heard but Not Understood
Accidents frequently involve orders that were:
- audible
- acknowledged
- executed incorrectly
Examples include:
- wrong direction
- wrong speed
- wrong timing
The bridge assumed understanding because sound occurred.
Closed-loop communication was incomplete — the loop never closed.
4. Failure Pattern 3 – Late or Absent Escalation
In many incidents:
- concerns were recognised early
- escalation was delayed
- urgency was internalised
- distress was declared too late
Crews waited for certainty instead of acting on risk.
Communication systems exist to buy time — but only if used early.
5. Failure Pattern 4 – Informal Language in Critical Moments
As operations feel routine, language relaxes.
Commands soften into suggestions:
- “Just ease her a bit”
- “Maybe slow down”
- “Looks okay for now”
Under pressure, these phrases lose meaning.
Standardised phrases exist to remove interpretation, not to sound formal.
6. Failure Pattern 5 – Wrong Channel, Wrong Audience
Common errors include:
- critical information passed on non-listening channels
- VHF calls made to the wrong audience
- distress information shared internally but not externally
Information that does not reach the right listener does not exist operationally.
7. Failure Pattern 6 – Readback Dropped Under Pressure
Readback is often the first casualty of stress.
As pressure rises:
- speech shortens
- confirmation is skipped
- assumptions replace verification
Many accident timelines show the same sequence:
correct order → no readback → wrong action → late correction
Readback feels slow — until recovery disappears.
8. Failure Pattern 7 – Assumptions About “Who’s Handling It”
Another recurring phrase in investigations:
“I thought someone else had informed them.”
Assumptions form when:
- roles are unclear
- authority feels shared
- communication responsibility is vague
Safety-critical information must be explicitly transmitted, not assumed to travel.
9. Why These Failures Repeat
These failures repeat because they are:
- human
- socially reinforced
- stress-amplified
- rarely punished until too late
They occur on:
- modern bridges
- experienced crews
- routine voyages
Technology changes.
Human communication limits do not.
10. Turning Failure Patterns into Barriers
Professional operations convert lessons into barriers:
- mandatory readback for control-critical orders
- early, structured escalation
- SMCP use during high-risk phases
- explicit communication roles
- normalised challenge and confirmation
These barriers do not slow operations.
They prevent recovery from becoming impossible.
Closing Perspective
Communication failures rarely look dramatic.
They look normal — right up until the moment they aren’t.
Most accidents did not require better radios.
They required clearer words, earlier escalation, and closed loops.
When communication works, nothing happens — and that is success.
When it fails, the cause is rarely silence or noise.
It is assumption.
Tags
communication failures · maritime accidents · bridge human factors · VHF misuse · GMDSS · accident investigation