The #1 killer in aviation isn’t always obvious or visible—and neither was the message behind one of Facebook’s most viral memes.
A cryptic meme titled “I like it on the floor” circulated throughout Facebook in 2010. The initial impression suggested either playfulness or suggestiveness but the post served as a breast cancer awareness initiative. The meme rapidly expanded throughout social networks yet its original meaning failed to reach everyone. The post lacked important elements such as donation links and survivor stories and clear next steps but it did include a brief moment of curiosity followed by rapid social media sharing (Mahoney & Tang, 2017).
The incident demonstrated the awareness of an idea, vaguely connected to a cause, without any resulting action. The phenomenon has parallel implications for our aviation field regarding Loss of Control In-Flight (LOC-I) which remains our most dangerous causal factor in fatal accidents. The aviation industry has spent decades sending safety messages yet, as a result of the training industry being unable to take meaningful action to measurably reduce the rate of associate accident occurrences, LOC-I remains the #1 risk for fatal aviation accidents (NTSB, 2023). The Facebook meme mirrors the situation of pilots who acknowledge LOC-I but lack sufficient training, and readily available training options, to handle its triggering flight conditions.
LOC-I awareness exists at a basic level for most people. The meme's inability to turn attention into results creates a problem that the aviation industry risks replicating. Mahoney and Tang (2017) stress that lasting behavioral transformation needs both audience-relevant content and active audience participation (p. 112). Our industry requires training that fully engages both physical and mental capacities.
The existence of LOC-I as a problem is insufficient on its own. The mitigation of this issue demands specific training in UPRT along with practiced recovery techniques and training that includes startle responses and spatial disorientation and surprise elements (Mahoney & Tang, 2017; Kim & Drumwright, 2016).
The meme gained popularity because it perfectly integrated with the standard Facebook interface. The implementation of effective UPRT requires integration into operational environments through aircraft training and full-flight simulators and type-specific virtual reality platforms which instructors deliver with an understanding of the critical nature of the training (Hootsuite, 2016).
The nature of pilots prevents them from being influenced by superficial information. LOC-I training together with safety communication needs to present direct data-based information which supports actionable standards. The Every Pilot In Control Solution Standard (EPIC-S2TM) framework by APS provides a direct link between awareness and real-world competency (Ashley & Tuten, 2014; Schivinski, Christodoulides, & Dabrowski, 2016).
The Breast Cancer Meme initiated a discussion yet failed to establish any further direction for participants. Such gaps in aviation protocols result in lost lives instead of merely wasting attention. Perhaps an effective LOC-I meme in the theme of "I like it on the floor" could be "Let's do it inverted".
The purpose of awareness should not be mistaken for reaching a conclusion. For pilots, it’s a call to prepare. LOC-I is survivable—but only for those who are ready. Every second is crucial--life and death--during the next in-flight upset event. The purpose of training exists to prepare pilots for emergency situations. Leadership requires taking charge.
Every pilot needs to maintain control of their aircraft.
References
Ashley, C., & Tuten, T. (2014). Creative strategies in social media marketing: An exploratory study of branded social content and consumer engagement. Psychology & Marketing, 32(1), 15–27. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20761
Aviation Performance Solutions (APS). (2025). Mitigating your #1 fatal air safety risk. APS. https://www.apstraining.com/risk-mitigation
Hootsuite. (2016). How to research your social media audience: A Hootsuite worksheet. https://blog.hootsuite.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Social-Media-Audience-Research-guide.pdf
Kim, E., & Drumwright, M. (2016). Engaging consumers and building relationships in social media: How social relatedness influences intrinsic vs. extrinsic consumer motivation. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 970–979. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.06.025
Mahoney, L. M., & Tang, T. (2017). Strategic social media: From marketing to social change. Wiley-Blackwell.
NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board. (2023). Prevent loss of control in flight in general aviation. NTSB. https://www.ntsb.gov/Advocacy/mwl/Pages/mwl6-2016.aspx
Schivinski, B., Christodoulides, G., & Dabrowski, D. (2016). Measuring consumers’ engagement with brand-related social-media content. Journal of Advertising Research, 56(1), 64–80. https://doi.org/10.2501/JAR-2016-004