Near misses are smaller in scale , relatively simpler to analyze and easier to resolve . Thus , capturing near misses not only provides an inexpensive means of learning , but also has some equally beneficial spin offs : Reporting of near misses by observers is an established error reduction technique in many industries and organizations : In the United States , the Aviation Safety Reporting System ( ASRS ) has been collecting confidential voluntary reports of close calls from pilots , flight attendants , air traffic controllers since 1976 . The system was established after TWA Flight 514 crashed on approach to Dulles International Airport near Washington , D.C. , killing all 85 passengers and seven crew in 1974 . The investigation that followed found that the pilot misunderstood an ambiguous response from the Dulles air traffic controllers , and that earlier another airline had told its pilots , but not other airlines , about a similar near miss . The ASRS identifies deficiencies and provides data for planning improvements to stakeholders without regulatory action . Some familiar safety rules , such as turning off electronic devices that can interfere with navigation equipment , are a result of this program . Due to near miss observations and other technological improvements , the rate of fatal accidents has dropped about 65 percent , to one fatal accident in about 4.5 million departures , from one in nearly 2 million in 1997
TWA Flight 514
TWA Flight 514
Near miss (safety)