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primary sources is expected to be the pilots themselves. It is planned that a representative sample of pilots from almost all airline companies and with varying amounts of experience, be interviewed. A systematic tabulation of their analyses of situations involving accidents or near-accidents would be made. Various types of emergency situations would be studied to determine the specific skills, abilities, or information most useful in avoiding a serious accident.

A second source of information will be the airline company check pilots. These men will be requested to provide information regarding the specific types of skill and ability which they regard as most important in examining pilots. They will be especially asked to describe actual incidents illustrating poor judgment, bad habits, or unsuitable temperament on the part of a pilot to whom they have recently given a check flight.

A similar survey would be made of other company employees, in charge of the training and supervision of pilots. This part of the survey would stress especially long-range training procedures, special problems with respect to new equipment, and similar matters.

Another source of information will be the company personnel files. These records are to be examined to obtain information regarding all pilots separated from the company either for failure "on the line" or in captains' school. Again, the examiners of the company files are not concerned with individual pilots and consequently the names of pilots would not be taken from the files. For purposes of comparison, a control group of individuals who are successful would also be studied. It is anticipated that by studying the records for a group of approximately a thousand pilots, half of whom were unsuccessful and separated from the company and half of whom were successful, valuable information regarding requirements for successful work as a pilot can be obtained.