5 Steps to Better Pilot Decisions

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5 Steps to Better Pilot Decisions

• By William Benhoff
• Safety Program Manager
• Cleveland FSDO

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Introduction

• When certified a pilot is expected to
• Be responsible in behavior
• Understand and interpret the rules
• To use Good Judgment
• Accident statistics indicate 80 to 85 of all GA
  accidents involve Pilot Error

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Pilot Error

• Oversimplification
• Pilots intend to fly safely
• Make decisional errors
• Skill and luck most times is enough to save them
  - Sometimes its not

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Dear School

• Ben Franklin in the 1734 edition of Poor
  Richards Almanac said
• Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will
  learn in no other

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Good Experience

• Training
• Controlled Environment
• With a qualified Instructor
• Simulated Problems
• Safety Seminars
• Hanger Flying

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Judgment

• Pilot Judgment - takes 2 forms
• Cognitive
• More time to think
• Final decision is easily influenced by non-flight
  factors
• Perceptual
• Without much thought
• Not easily influenced

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Objectives

• Help you move your pilot decisions from Cognitive
  to Perceptual
• Give you a 5 step checklist to help you make
  better decisions
• Reduce your chances of enrolling in that Dear
  School

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The 5 Step Checklist

• Its easy and requires no purchase
• It is within arms reach at all times!!!
• Each flight has 4 risk factors
• Pilot
• Aircraft
• Environment
• Operation

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The 5 Step Checklist

• The Pilot
• Any evaluation of the pilot, is included in the
  First Step.

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The Pilot

• I - Illness
• M - Medication
• S - Stress
• A - Alcohol
• F - Fatigue
• E - Eating

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Illness

• Do you have any symptoms?
• What will be their effects in flight
• Will they cause you discomfort
• How will they effect other decisions
• Do you really want to fly if your sick?
• There is no MEL for the pilot

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Medication

• FAR 91.17(a)(3) states you can not fly while
  taking any drug that effects your faculties in
  any way contrary to safety
• Have you been taking any prescription or
  over-the-counter medication?
• CAFFEINE ????

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Stress

• Some stress - good / A lot of stress - bad ---
  very bad
• Life stress vs Flight stress

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Life Stress

• Life stress values
• Death in family ......................50 pts.
• Serious health problem..........37 pts.
• Lack of sleep.........................34 pts.
• Government action................29 pts.
• Employment...........................26 pts.
• Total of 50-70 pts. - could be trouble

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Alcohol

• FAR 91. 17 (a) has three parts to it
• 8 hours
• .04 Blood alcohol
• Under the influence
• What have I been drinking within the last 8
  hours? Within 24 hours?

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Fatigue

• Am I tired or not adequately rested?
• In the life stress it rated 34 pts. It even
  scored more points than serious financial problem
  29 pts.
• In parts 121 and 135 there are limits of duty
  time and rest hours set.
• However under Part 91 you can fly until you drop
  - perhaps literally.

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Eating

• Am I adequately nourished?
• Vending Machine or Fast Food
• Good meal with proper foods
• How long ago was your last meal?
• Too long
• Too soon
• Remember school and a good breakfast

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The 5 Step Checklist

• If all evaluations of the pilot are SATISFACTORY
• Fold down that finger and go to Step 2

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The 5 Step Checklist

• The Aircraft
• Any Judgment about the aircraft and its equipment

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The Aircraft

• Dont use - THE WRONG TOOL
• Is the aircraft your using on this flight
  adequate for the conditions expected?
• Instrument vs. All Weather
• Equipped for your use
• How current / qualified are you to fly it?

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Maintenance

• Are the required inspections completed?
• How can you verify this information
• When was the last maintenance completed
• Are there any open discrepancies
• IS THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK ON BOARD!!!!

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The Preflight

• Is a good thorough preflight inspection
  completed?
• Carefully look over every aircraft flown
• Know what each leak is, and why each stain is
  there
• Verify all equipment is working or address why
  its not required

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Limitations

• Plan, Plan, Plan, then plan some more
• Know how much fuel is required and how much is
  being used
• Runway lengths required
• Weight and Balance of each leg
• Dont be an Experimenter Pilot

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The 5 Step Checklist

• If all evaluations of the aircraft are
  SATISFACTORY
• Fold down that finger and go to Step 3.

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The 5 Step Checklist

• The Environment
• Any evaluation of where and in what will the
  flight be operated in

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The Weather

• VFR or IFR
• Winds
• Visibility
• Icing
• If you live by the forecast, you shall die by the
  forecast

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When is the Flight?

• Time of the day
• Day/VFR
• Day/IFR
• Night/VFR
• Night/IFR
• Season
• Winter vs. Summer
• Spring vs Fall

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The Airport

• Airport location
• Busy Airport / Class B Airspace
• Aircraft Traffic Mix
• Grass Field, remote location
• Surrounding area
• Facilities Available - airport / aircraft

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Air Traffic Control

• Availability - Services provided
• Complexity
• Weather observation
• Observer
• AWOS - different levels of services/info.
• NONE????

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The 5 Step Checklist

• If all evaluations of the environment are
  SATISFACTORY
• Fold down that finger and go to Step 4.

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The 5 Step Checklist

• The Operation
• WHY IS THIS FLIGHT BEING MADE????

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The Operation

• The most easily influenced by factors not related
  to safety
• The area where the majority of the Poor
  Decisional Errors are made
• Requires a personal commitment to not exceed your
  limitations

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Is the Flight worth the Risk?

• Is this flight
• Low investment - High return
• High investment - Low return
• Must this flight be conducted NOW or can it be
  DELAYED
• Is this a financial decision?

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Pressure

• Where is the pressure coming from?
  Pressure Flight Stress
• Serious Disagreement..............50 pts.
• System Failure...................50 - 30 pts.
• Deteriorating Weather..............45 pts.
• Violation on This Flight..............31 pts.
• Almost an Accident...................25 pts.

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Total Stress

• Some Personal Stress when added to your Flight
  Stress -
• Its easy to get above 50 - 70 points, putting
  you at risk for stress related decisional errors

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Sources of Stress

• Other Flight Stress induces
• Passengers
• What are their motivations
• Who is the expert in aviation
• Do they FULLY understand the risks
• Is it a failure to communicate the situation to
  them?

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More Sources

• Employer
• Is it a communication problem
• Who is above this person
• 1,000 other pilots?
• A violation? For you or the company
• Is this job worth your life?

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Even More Sources

• Other Pilots
• Sometimes our worst enemies
• Would they really go with all the information you
  have?
• What are their decision making skills
• Perhaps they are WRONG - and you are RIGHT !!!!!!

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The Biggest Source

• The Pilot
• Is all this pressure from you
• What are your alternatives
• Have you carefully analyzed the risk factors -
  can any be changed?
• What are your true motivations????

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The 5 Step Checklist

• If all evaluations of the Operation are
  SATISFACTORY
• Fold down that finger and go to Step 5.

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The 5 Step Checklist

• The Situation
• If all fingers are folded down, meaning all risk
  are SATISFACTORY
• Start or Continue

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The 5 Step Checklist

• If any fingers are still out, meaning a risk
  factor is not satisfactory
• NO GO or STOP
• Determine how you can change the risk

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The Decision

• GO / NO GO Decision
• GO / Continue to go Decision
• Continually make decisions based upon the 5 Risk
  Factors, to continue the flight or divert

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Point to Ponder

• Who is the Captain/Pilot In Command?
• You are never really a Captain, until you can say
  NO
• One of the responsibilities of command is the
  ability to say NO in the interest of Safety

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????????????
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Thank You
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