There is a common belief in aviation that when something unexpected happens, training simply "kicks in." We like to think that years of experience, technical knowledge and countless hours of practice will automatically produce the right response when it matters most. The reality is more complex.

Why do we miss what's right in front of us? In this episode, we explore how attention narrows under pressure, why fixation happens, and what it means for performance in aviation and beyond.

For years, we've recognised this response and labelled it the startle effect. We teach pilots about it during emergency training and discuss it during accident investigations. But I believe we've been asking the wrong question. Instead of asking: "How do we stop people becoming startled?" Perhaps we should be asking: "Why does the brain respond this way in the first place?" Because once we understand the answer, everything about the conversation changes.