by Darren
Smith, CFII/MEI
from PocketLearning, September 2002 CFIDarren
Newsletter, November 30, 2010
We used to
believe
that good judgment was obtained only as a natural by-product of
experience.
But we know good judgment can be taught. Mistakes in judgment can
be fatal. Effective risk assessment requires a good Aeronautical
Decision Making model (ADM). The fundamentals of ADM include:
Identifying
personal
attitudes hazardous to safe flight;
Learning
behavior modification
techniques;
Learning
to recognize
and cope with stress;
Developing
risk assessment
skills;
Using
all resources.
Evaluating
your ADM
skills.
The DECIDE
model relies
upon the pilot's ability to maintain situational awareness of all
aspects
of the flight. We are all required to manage risks in
flying.
The FAA espouses the DECIDE model to assist us in our choices:
Detect
– the fact that a change has occurred Estimate
– the need to react to or counter the change Choose
–
a desirable outcome for the flight or situation Identify
– actions to control the change successfully Do –
take
the necessary actions Evaluate
– the effects of the action to react to or counter the initial
change
Using the
DECIDE model
should become the automatic response when something doesn't seem
right.
Applying the DECIDE model before an accident can be useful in
preventing
it! However, most pilots normally do not want to acknowledge that
something might be amiss. Your choice is to apply it before the
accident
happens or the rest of us will apply it as a case study of your
accident.
Most preventable accidents have one common factor: human error, rather
than a mechanical malfunction.
All
experienced pilots
have fallen prey to, or have been tempted by, one or more of these
dangerous
tendencies or behavior patterns in their flying careers:
Poor
decision making
based upon emotional response to peers rather than evaluating a
situation
objectively
The
inability to recognize
and cope with changes in the situation different from those anticipated
or planned.
Clouds
the vision and
impairs judgment by causing a fixation on the original goal or
destination
combined with a total disregard for any alternative course of
action.
Tendency
to sneak a
peek by descending below minimums during an approach. Based on a belief
that there is a built in “fudge” factor or an unwillingness to admit
defeat
and shoot a missed approach.
Pushing
the pilot and
aircraft capabilities to the limit by trying to maintain visual contact
with the terrain while trying to avoid contact with it. (scud running)
Continuing
VFR into
IFR conditions often leads to spatial disorientation or collision with
ground/obstacles. It is even more dangerous when not instrument rated
or
current.
Allowing
events or the
situation to control your actions rather than the other way around.
Loss of
situational
awareness which results in not knowing where you are, an inability to
recognize
deteriorating circumstances, and the misjudgment of the rate of
deterioration.
Ignoring
minimum fuel
reserve requirements, either VFR or IFR, is generally the result of
overconfidence,
lack of flight planning, or ignoring the regulations.
Unjustified
reliance
on the (usually mistaken) belief that the airplanes high performance
capability
meets the demands imposed by the pilot's (usually overestimated) flying
skills.
Unjustified
reliance
on the pilot's short and long term memory, regular flying skills,
repetitive
and familiar routes, etc.
Developing a
good "personal
minimums checklist" is an appropriate activity to build good
aeronautical
decision making skills. For example:
Flight
while under the
influence of alcohol or drugs is a never.
Flight
with a known
medical deficiency is never expedient or legal (FAR 61.53).
Flight
outside the certified
envelope is never safe.
Flight
with less than
the required minimum fuel is never reasonable.
VFR
flight into instrument
meteorological conditions is never justified.
Descent
below the applicable
minimum enroute altitude is never justified.
Casual
neglect of any
applicable checklist is never justified.
Aircraft
accident statistics
show that pilots should be conducting preflight checklists on
themselves
as well as on their aircraft.
A good
preflight personal
check is the "IM SAFE" checklist:
lllness.
Any Symptoms? Medication.
Prescription or OTC drugs? Stress.
Psychological, money, health, family? Alcohol.
Within 8 hours? Within 24 hours? Fatigue.
Adequately rested? Eating.
Enough proper foods for nourishment?
How to be a
safe
pilot?
Follow the
rules.
Existing procedures, practices and regulations go a long way to
mitigate
accident statistics.
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