Pilots are imperfect by design. We’re human, after all. On any given flight, a pilot is faced with dozens of interrelated decisions that guide the airplane to its destination, hopefully intact and without incident. Most of the time, we make good decisions and our flights end safely, even if we execute some elements of the flight imperfectly — a missed radio call or a less than smooth landing, for example. However, multiple mistakes coupled with poor decisions can form “the accident chain” that is the foundation of nearly every National Transportation Safety Board accident report.
Pilot Attitudes in Training
![An instructor and a student preflight a Cessna 152 before a lesson. [Credit: Richard Steiger]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/httpswww.flyingmag.comsitesflyingmag.comfilesimages201804pilot_attitude_in_training_image_1-1.jpeg)
Key Takeaways:
- Poor pilot decisions and inherent human imperfections contribute to an "accident chain" in aviation incidents.
- Flight instructors play a crucial role in identifying and correcting dangerous behaviors and attitudes in pilots to prevent accidents.
- The FAA defines five hazardous attitudes—Anti-Authority, Impulsivity, Invulnerability, Macho, and Resignation—that instructors should recognize and address to foster safer decision-making and risk management.
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