Safety is of paramount importance in aviation in first-world countries. Commercial aviation here is highly reliable and ultra-safe, at least technically. However, while technology has significantly improved safety, human error has not decreased at a corresponding rate. Human factors account for up to 80% of all aviation accidents and incidents. Commercial aviation is experiencing rapid growth and change while facing intense competition from a large number of new entrant, low cost carriers. These changes have a profound impact on the HRM model utilized by airlines, with many resorting to harder models of HRM and more precarious, low cost work practices. This changing HRM landscape raises important concerns in relation to pilots’ readiness and ability to deal with unpredictability and critical incidents. Using the critical incident technique, our paper explores personal accounts of critical incidents narrated during in-depth interviews with 28 UK-based commercial airline pilots. We identify the key, emergent implications for HRM.