Aeronautical Decision-Making

Strategic Deliberate Time-Critical Figure 2-10. Risk management processing can take place in any of three timeframes. 2-15 esopruP Passengers can also be pilots. If no one is designated as pilot The SRM process is simple. At least five times before in command (PIC) and unplanned circumstances arise, the and during the flight, the pilot should review and consider decision-making styles of several self-confident pilots may the “Plan, the Plane, the Pilot, the Passengers, and the come into conflict. Programming” and make the appropriate decision required by the current situation. It is often said that failure to make Pilots also need to understand that non-pilots may not a decision is a decision. Under SRM and the 5 Ps, even the understand the level of risk involved in flight. There is an decision to make no changes to the current plan is made element of risk in every flight. That is why SRM calls it risk through a careful consideration of all the risk factors present. management, not risk elimination. While a pilot may feel comfortable with the risk present in a night IFR flight, the Perceive, Process, Perform (3P) Model passengers may not. A pilot employing SRM should ensure The Perceive, Process, Perform (3P) model for ADM offers the passengers are involved in the decision-making and given a simple, practical, and systematic approach that can be used tasks and duties to keep them busy and involved. If, upon a during all phases of flight. To use it, the pilot will: factual description of the risks present, the passengers decide • Perceive the given set of circumstances for a flight to buy an airline ticket or rent a car, then a good decision has generally been made. This discussion also allows the pilot • Process by evaluating their impact on flight safety to move past what he or she thinks the passengers want to • Perform by implementing the best course of action do and find out what they actually want to do. This removes self-induced pressure from the pilot. Use the Perceive, Process, Perform, and Evaluate method as a continuous model for every aeronautical decision that you The Programming make. Although human beings will inevitably make mistakes, The advanced avionics aircraft adds an entirely new anything that you can do to recognize and minimize potential dimension to the way GA aircraft are flown. The electronic threats to your safety will make you a better pilot. instrument displays, GPS, and autopilot reduce pilot workload and increase pilot situational awareness. While Depending upon the nature of the activity and the time programming and operation of these devices are fairly available, risk management processing can take place in simple and straightforward, unlike the analog instruments any of three timeframes. [Figure 2-10] Most flight training they replace, they tend to capture the pilot’s attention and activities take place in the “time-critical” timeframe for hold it for long periods of time. To avoid this phenomenon, risk management. The six steps of risk management can be the pilot should plan in advance when and where the combined into an easy-to-remember 3P model for practical programming for approaches, route changes, and airport risk management: Perceive, Process, Perform with the PAVE, information gathering should be accomplished, as well as CARE and TEAM checklists. Pilots can help perceive times it should not. Pilot familiarity with the equipment, the hazards by using the PAVE checklist of: Pilot, Aircraft, route, the local ATC environment, and personal capabilities enVironment, and External pressures. They can process vis-à-vis the automation should drive when, where, and how hazards by using the CARE checklist of: Consequences, the automation is programmed and used. Alternatives, Reality, External factors. Finally, pilots can perform risk management by using the TEAM choice list The pilot should also consider what his or her capabilities of: Transfer, Eliminate, Accept, or Mitigate. are in response to last minute changes of the approach (and the reprogramming required) and ability to make large-scale PAVE Checklist: Identify Hazards and Personal changes (a reroute for instance) while hand flying the aircraft. Minimums Since formats are not standardized, simply moving from one In the first step, the goal is to develop situational awareness manufacturer’s equipment to another should give the pilot by perceiving hazards, which are present events, objects, or pause and require more conservative planning and decisions. circumstances that could contribute to an undesired future event. In this step, the pilot will systematically identify and Used in a complex operation (e.g., Uses experience and brainstorming to identify “On the fly” mental or verbal review using introduction of new equipment); involves hazards, assess risks, and develop controls the basic risk management process research, use of analysis tools, formal for planning operations, review of standard during the execution phase of an activity. testing, or long term tracking of risks. operating or training procedures, etc.