Introduction to Glider Flying > Introduction to Glider Flying > Aeronautical Decision Making.

Aeronautical decision making (ADM) is a system-atic approach to the mental process used by pilots t o consistently determine the best course of action in response to a given set of circumstances. The importance of learning effective ADM skills cannot be overemphasized. While progress is continually being made in the advancement of pilot training m e t h o d s , aircraft equipment and systems, and services for pilots, accidents still occur. Despite all the changes in technology to improve flight safety, one factor remains the same—the human factor. It is estimated that 65 percent of the total glider accidents are human factors related.

Historically, the term “pilot error” has been used to describe the causes of these accidents. Pilot error means that an action or decision made by the pilot was the cause of, or a contributing factor that lead to, the accident. This definition also includes the pilot’s failure to make a decision or take action. From a broader perspective, the phrase “human factors related” more aptly describes these accidents since it is usually not a single decision that leads to an accident, but a chain of events triggered by a number of factors.

An experienced glider pilot returning from a cross-country flight is approaching a jagged mountain ridge that lies between him and his home airport located in the valley below. As he nears the ridge he sees people on the top waving to him in excitement. Overjoyed with having flown over 400 kilometers, he decides to do a low pass over the peak. He is flying into a 30 knot headwind that is blowing across the peak. Holding what he feels is adequate airspeed as he nears the lee side of the peak, he realizes his alti-tude is not very high in relation to the peak of the ridge. As he nears the peak he finds himself in a strong downdraft created by the strong wind blow-ing over the ridge. In an attempt to make a 180° turn to avoid contacting the ridge, the pilot puts his glider into a steep right turn and pulls back hard on the control stick resulting in an accelerated stall/spin. In the ensuing crash, the pilot is fatally injured and the glider is completely destroyed.

By discussing the events that led to this accident, we can understand how a series of judgmental e r r o r s contributed to the final outcome of this flight. For example, one of the first elements that affected the pilot’s flight was his inability to realize that his decision-making skills were probably dulled by the long distance flight, which preceded the accident. The pilot had flown over this ridge a number of times and was aware that downdrafts are often present on the lee side of the peak but had never had problems in the past.

Next, he let his desire to show-off for the people on the mountain peak override his concern for arrivingsafely at his home airport, and he failed to recog-nize the threat posed by the strong wind blowing over the ridge. Rather than heading straight for the airport, he decided to make a low pass over the ridge with insufficient altitude to maintain the FAA mandatory minimums in dangerous wind condi-tions. Next, rather than aborting his attempt to make the pass over the peak when he realized his alti-tude was not sufficient, he continued to fly toward the peak rather than making a 180° turn away from it.

On numerous occasions during the flight, the pilot could have made effective decisions that may h a v e prevented this accident. However, as the chain ofevents unfolded, each poor decision left him with fewer and fewer options.

Figure 1-2. These terms are used in AC 60-22 to explain concepts used in ADM training.