Small Margins, Big Stakes: Preventing NAT Errors

Part 3 of 4 in the Gary Dietz NAT Series, first published in the Scott IPC newsletter in August 2026.

As we continue our North Atlantic series, we’re focusing on an important theme: preventing oceanic errors by paying attention to the details.

Watch the Daily TMI

Gander and Shanwick have recently updated key remarks in the daily Track Message Identifier (TMI).

Remark 2: Pilots are reminded to include the aircraft “MAX LEVEL IN RCL.”
Remark 3: PBCS OTS levels are now FL340–FL400.

The remarks published in the daily TMI aren’t just informational. They contain important flight crew reminders intended to help minimize or eliminate oceanic errors.

General Aviation and NAT Errors

General Aviation operators account for approximately 5% of annual NAT flights, yet Part 91 and Part 135 operations have historically accounted for approximately 10–25% of NAT errors.

For 2025, the top three pilot causal errors were:

Flying the flight plan instead of the clearance
Not adhering to the ATC clearance
CPDLC uplink inputs

These errors reinforce a fundamental principle of North Atlantic operations:

What was planned and what was cleared are not always the same.

What Can Pilots Do?

Scott IPC instructors continue to emphasize several practices that can significantly reduce the potential for an oceanic error:

Strict adherence to data-entry procedures
Robust cross-checks
Understanding conditional clearances
Correct application of contingency procedures
Knowing the aircraft’s predicted maximum altitude
Independent two-pilot cross-verification

Your Scott IPC International Cockpit Reference Handbook (ICRH®) includes dual independent cross-check procedures and robust checklists specifically designed to support these practices.

The takeaway is straightforward: slow down, verify the clearance, cross-check independently, and use the procedures and tools available to you.

In North Atlantic operations, seemingly small details can prevent significant errors.