An Epidemiological Approach Against the Phantom Safety Syndrome

Abstract

In this “Industrial Safety Tribune”, Jean Pariès, former scientific director of Foncsi and former deputy head and investigator-in-charge at the BEA (French Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety), shares some thoughts following the preliminary NTSB report on the mid-air collision that occurred on January 29, 2025, in Washington. 

Is it too soon to issue recommendations? Was this accident predictable? Does it reveal a deeper dysfunction in certain safety models? By revisiting this accident and analyzing the initial reports, Jean Pariès introduces a lesser-known concept: the “phantom safety syndrome”.