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:
- Pilots' inherent imperfections and poor decision-making are the root causes of nearly all aviation accidents, forming a dangerous "accident chain."
- Flight instructors play a crucial role in identifying and correcting hazardous attitudes in pilots, as some individuals may be unwilling or incapable of changing their behavior.
- The FAA defines five hazardous attitudes—Anti-Authority, Impulsivity, Invulnerability, Macho, and Resignation—which instructors must address to foster better decision-making and safer, more confident pilots.
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