[Column] Tips to Avoid Accidents during pilot conning 30 January 2025 Tweet Capt. Masayuki Kobori Loss Prevention and Ship Inspection Department   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This column features the article contributed by our Association to "Mariners' Digest Vol.76", published in January 2025 by the Japan Shipping Exchange, Inc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Highlights   To prevent accidents during pilot conning, it is crucial to cultivate a strong onboard safety culture where strict adherence to the SMS is the norm. This involves clear roles and tasks, thorough MPX, and robust BRM. Regular training reinforces best practices and helps prevent deviations from becoming normalized. New crew members must adapt to this culture, with the master correcting any deviations. Ultimately, preventing the normalization of deviations is key to safe navigation. Why do accidents occur as a result of placing over-reliance on pilots? Many accidents during pilot conning are caused by over-reliance on the pilot.   I carried out interviews with masters after accidents in order to analyze the causes and execute investigation reports. I asked the masters, “Do you understand that the master is responsible for the navigation of the vessel and the pilot is just an adviser?” All masters said, “Yes”. Subsequently, I analyzed ECDIS / radar / wind force / wind direction and other records through VDR and captured the lessons learned.   There is a tip to avoid incidents during pilot conning. It is “Stop Deviation”.   We humans have a tendency to choose the easier way to do something, and take a shortcut. The more we succeed with shortcuts, the more our brains repeat them, and the deviated way becomes normalized over time through these s