Aeronautical decision-making (ADM) - Mamoudou Sacko

Aeronautical decision-making (ADM) is critical in risk management it’s kind of  at the cornerstone of everything; ADM is trying to systematically analyze the mental process used by pilots in order to determine the best course of action in a certain given set of circumstances. İn short it is what the pilot intend to do based on the latest information he or she receives.

I have to say learning and understanding effective ADM skills is critical and cannot be overemphasized for the pilots. WHY?

Because it is obvious that despite all the changes and efforts in technology to improve flight safety, one single thing still remains the same: the human factor, which leads to errors. Base on the statistics close to 80 percent of all aviation accidents are related to human factors, and the vast majority of these accidents occur during landing (24.1 percent) and takeoff (23.4 percent).

The effectiveness of these materials was validated in independent studies where student pilots received such training in conjunction with the standard flying curriculum. When tested, the pilots who had received ADM training made fewer in-flight errors than those who had not received ADM training. The differences were statistically significant and ranged from about 10 to 50 percent fewer judgment errors. In the operational environment, an operator flying about 400,000 hours annually demonstrated a 54 percent reduction in accident rate after using these materials for recurrence training.

ADM provides a structured, systematic approach to analyzing changes that occur during a flight and how these changes might affect a flight’s safe outcome.

The ADM process addresses all aspects of decision-making in the flight deck and identifies the steps involved in good decision-making.

Steps for good decision-making are:

1. Identifying personal attitudes hazardous to safe flight.

2. Learning behavior modification techniques.

3. Learning how to recognize and cope with stress.

4. Developing risk assessment skills.

5. Using all resources.

6. Evaluating the effectiveness of one’s ADM skills.

              

            ADM results in helping to manage risk meaning when a pilot follows good decision-making practices, the inherent risk in a flight is reduced or even eliminated.

Analytical Decision-Making

Analytical decision-making is a form of decision-making that is mostly done on paper so it takes time to evaluation the options

Automatic Decision-Making

This one is faster it is done in emergency situations, a pilot might not survive if he or she rigorously applied analytical models to every decision made; there is not enough time to go through all the options. But under these circumstances, does he or she find the best possible solution to every problem? (That is something that worth looking into it under another research project.)

Operational Pitfalls

Operational pitfalls are traps that pilots fall into, avoidance of which is actually simple in nature. A pilot should always have an alternate flight plan for where to land in case of an emergency on every flight.

3P Model

             İt is commonly agreed that making a risk assessment is very important, but before all in order to make any assessment the pilot must be able to see and sense surroundings first and then process what is seen before performing a corrective action. An excellent process to use in this scenario is called the 3 Ps: Perceive, Process, and Perform.

The Perceive, Process, Perform (3P) model for ADM offers a simple, practical, and systematic approach that can be used during all phases of flight. [Figure 5-3] To use it, the pilot will:

• Perceive the given set of circumstances for a flight.

• Process by evaluating their impact on flight safety.

• Perform by implementing the best course of action.

Single-Pilot Resource Management

SRM is about the use of resources and it is defined as the art or way of managing all the resources (both onboard the aircraft and from outside sources) available to a pilot before and during flight to ensure a successful flight.

 This something that is not considered in many risk management document but I believe that pilot being aware of whatever is in his possession can play an important role in the risk mitigation.

SRM is all about helping pilots to learn and execute methods of gathering information, analyzing it, and making decisions. Although the flight is coordinated by a single person and not an onboard flight crew, the use of available resources, such as air traffic control (ATC) and automated flight service stations (AFSS), replicates the principles of CRM.

Recognition of Hazards

We have to recognize that generally it is difficult for the pilot involved to recognize a hazard and understand the risk. How a pilot interprets hazards is an important component of risk assessment. Failure to recognize a hazard becomes a fatal mistake in most of the accidents.

Use of Resources

In order for the pilot to make informed decisions during flight operations, he must also become aware of the resources found inside and outside the flight deck. Since useful tools and sources of information may not always be readily apparent, learning to recognize these resources is an essential part of ADM training. Resources must not only be identified, but a pilot must also develop the skills to evaluate whether there is time to use a particular resource and the impact its use has upon the safety of flight. For example, the assistance of ATC may be very useful if a pilot becomes lost, but in an emergency situation, there may be no time to contact ATC.

Internal Resources

One of the most underutilized resources may be the person in the right seat, even if the passenger has no flying experience. When appropriate, the PIC can ask passengers to assist with certain tasks, such as watching for traffic or reading checklist items.

External Resources

Air traffic controllers and AFSS are the best external resources during flight. In order to promote the safe, orderly flow of air traffic around airports and along flight routes, the ATC provides pilots with traffic advisories, radar vectors, and assistance in emergency situations. Although it is the PIC’s responsibility to make the flight as safe as possible, a pilot with a problem can request assistance from ATC.

SRM and the 5P Check

SRM is about how to gather information, analyze it, and make decisions. Learning how to identify problems, analyze the information, and make informed and timely decisions is not as straightforward as the training involved in learning specific maneuvers.

SRM sounds good on paper, but it requires a way for pilots to understand and use it in their daily flights. One practical application is called the Five Ps (5 Ps). 

The 5 Ps are:

• Plan

• Plane

• Pilot                                       

• Passengers

• Programming

Plan

The plan can also be called the mission or the task. It contains the basic elements of cross-country planning: weather, route, fuel, current publications, etc.

Plane

Both the plan and the plane are fairly familiar to most pilots. The plane consists of the usual array of mechanical and cosmetic issues that every aircraft pilot, owner, or operator can identify.

Pilot

Flying, especially when used for business transportation, can expose the pilot to high altitude flying, long distance and endurance, and more challenging weather. An advanced avionics aircraft, simply due to its advanced capabilities, can expose a pilot to even more of these stresses. The traditional “IMSAFE” checklist is a good start. Figure 6-17

Passengers

One of the key differences between CRM and SRM is the way passengers interact with the pilot. The pilot of a single- engine aircraft enters into a very personal relationship with the passengers. In fact, the pilot and passengers sit within arm’s reach all of the time.

Programming

The advanced avionics aircraft adds an entirely new dimension to the way GA aircraft are flown. The electronic instrument displays, GPS, and autopilot reduce pilot workload and increase pilot situational awareness. While programming and operation of these devices are fairly simple and straightforward unlike the analog instruments they replace, they tend to capture the pilot’s attention and hold it for long periods of time. To avoid this phenomenon, the pilot should plan in advance when and where the programming for approaches, route changes, and airport information gathering should be accomplished, as well as times it should not. Pilot familiarity with the equipment, the route, the local air traffic control environment, and personal capabilities vis-à-vis the automation should drive when, where, and how the automation is programmed and used.

Summary

The SRM process is very simple it is all about using everything you have to reduce risk. And at least five times before and during the flight, the pilot should review and consider the plan, plane, pilot, passengers, and programming and make the appropriate decision required by the current situation. It is often said that failure to make a decision is a decision. Under SRM and the 5 Ps, even the decision to make no changes to the current plan is made through a careful consideration of all the risk factors present.