Transforming Close Calls Into Safer Aviation Systems

How past events are helping shape proactive safety strategies for a more resilient aviation future.

Aviation's strong safety record is built on its ability to learn from past events. Close calls and near misses often reveal hidden vulnerabilities in procedures, training, or technology. By studying these moments, operators across commercial aviation, business aviation, and the emerging Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) sector are improving systems before incidents occur.

Commercial aviation has taken the lead in collecting and analyzing data from safety reports, including events that fall short of formal investigations. This approach has spurred the development of new alerting systems and operational changes designed to prevent runway incursions and other high-risk scenarios. One example is the broader adoption of real-time ground awareness systems following a series of near collisions.

Segment-Specific Approaches

Business aviation, with its diverse missions and smaller operational teams, has adopted similar strategies through Safety Management Systems (SMS). These systems help track, assess, and mitigate risk across a wide variety of flight profiles. Lessons learned from operational data now inform everything from pilot training to equipment updates.

Meanwhile, AAM developers are embedding safety analysis into their design and planning processes. By leveraging decades of aviation safety lessons, they aim to anticipate and address risks before passengers ever board. This includes designing aircraft with fault-tolerant systems and creating operational protocols that reflect real-world complexities.

The Role Of Data In Predictive Safety

Data analytics continues to reshape how aviation approaches safety. Aggregating flight and incident data from multiple sources allows teams to detect patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed. These insights are helping organizations shift from reactive to predictive safety models—catching issues before they escalate.

Fostering A Learning Culture

A culture of transparency and accountability supports this work. Open reporting, particularly when free from punitive consequences, encourages teams to share information about errors or concerns. Industry groups and regulators have promoted this approach, recognizing that human factors remain a leading cause of aviation incidents.

What’s Next?

As aviation grows more complex, the industry’s ability to learn from experience—especially close calls—will remain one of its greatest strengths. Systems that support transparency, structured analysis, and continuous feedback are helping operators to anticipate problems before they occur and to keep safety front and center.