Just Culture and UAP: Safe Reporting in a Professional Aviation Culture
For a pilot, the cockpit is an environment of absolute rationality, data, and procedures. Yet, in practice, professionals sometimes encounter phenomena that fall outside the established framework. Discussing these observations has been hampered for decades by a persistent stigma. However, for the safety of our airspace, it is important that we also apply the principles of Just Culture to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP).
What is Just Culture?
Within aviation, Just Culture is defined as an atmosphere of trust in which employees are encouraged, and even rewarded, for providing essential safety-related information. It is the cornerstone of a healthy Safety Culture.
The principle is based on a clear dividing line: honest mistakes or unexpected observations are not punished. Sanctions are imposed only in cases of gross negligence or intentional violations. The goal is not to assign blame, but to continuously learn from incidents and thus prevent recurrence. Without this trust, a blind spot arises in safety management because critical information is not reached.
The Barrier: Stigma and Professional Anxiety
Despite professional standards in aviation, the so-called "ridicule factor" poses a significant barrier to UAP reports by pilots. The fear of professional ridicule or, worse, doubt about one's mental fitness weighs heavily. Many pilots fear that a report could lead to a medical re-examination or even the revocation of their pilot's license.
The paradox of silence
This silence creates a dangerous paradox. By not reporting incidents, a data gap arises, making real safety risks in the airspace invisible. Suppressing these experiences also negatively impacts Cockpit Resource Management (CRM). When a crew observes an anomaly but is afraid to report it, it leads to distraction and reduced situational awareness. Breaking this stigma is therefore not a luxury, but a necessity for collective flight safety.
Recent Developments in the Netherlands and the EU
Fortunately, policy is moving in the right direction. In the Netherlands, the Dutch Safety Board (OVV) took an important step in 2024 by officially accepting UAP reports from aviation personnel. With this, the OVV recognizes that an open reporting culture is more important than the prevailing stigma.
At the European level, EU Regulation 376/2014 forms the legal backbone for whistleblowers. This law offers strict identity protection and prohibits organizations from using reporting information to attribute blame. Although the specific category for UAP has not yet been included in many reporting systems (such as ECCAIRS2), the protection is already in place; now the culture must follow suit.
Practical: How do you submit a UAP notification?
As a professional, you are trained to report factually and objectively. Data integrity is crucial for effective UAP analysis.
Step-by-step plan for reporting:
- UAP Coalition Netherlands: You can report your experience confidentially via the contact button at the bottom of this page.
- Internal channels: If you feel comfortable doing so, report the incident primarily through your own organization's safety manager. Your organization most likely does not have a UAP category.
- ECCAIRS2: Submit a report via the official European Aviation Safety Reporting Portal. This system doesn't have a UAP category, so use the general option. This can be done anonymously if desired.
- OVV: In the Netherlands you can specifically justifiably at the Dutch Safety Board.
Technical data:
To make a report a usable data point, we ask you to record the following information (if available):
- Parameters: Exact time, position and altitude of your device and the object.
- Sensor mounting: Note whether the sighting was confirmed by onboard radar, ground radar, TCAS, or infrared (FLIR) sensors.
- Kinematics: Describe the movements you and any other witnesses on board observed using the Five Observables (such as abrupt acceleration or hypersonic speed without a sonic boom).
- Technical impact: Be aware of possible Electro-Magnetic Effects on navigation or communication systems.
Breaking the stigma surrounding UAP reports by pilots and other flight crew members begins with recognizing that any unidentified object in our airspace is a flight safety risk until proven otherwise.
Would you like to learn more about the technical background and scientific methodology behind the investigation of anomalous phenomena? Then read our full Scientific Framework for UAP and Aviation Safety.