AC 91-79 provides background knowledge and a reminder of requirements to help avoid an overrun. The presentation of some of the issues appears muddled and at variance with world standards. Why does the FAA choose to introduce new terminology for runway braking conditions when there is an adequate ICAO standard, or is this a move towards standardization?
The recommendations are typical of many regulators in telling operators what to do and what their responsibilities are, but there is scant advice as to how these are to be achieved, e.g. “Adhere to SOPs and best practices”, but what are best practices and exactly how do pilots adhere to SOPs – how do they avoid error?
Technical knowledge and an understanding of the regulatory system are components of decision making, but a more critical element is how and when that knowledge is used. These details are absent.
I have located a more positive reference (link at ref 1). This provides a model of the human decision making and concludes with a section on training for decision making, starting with decision aiding systems:
“Humans are inaccurate at estimating probabilities, and are particularly poor at revising probabilities based on new information. Decision aids can be used to help improve this fault in decision making.” Perhaps we require some technology to help with the probabilities.
The training recommendations start with ‘de-biasing’, the removal of bad habits or false belief; this has to overcome “first learned, best remembered’ items from basic training which might not apply to commercial operations.
The key training issues are:
- Five hazardous attitudes, but there is no explanation of how to control them.
- Self evaluation, self monitoring – ‘how goes it’.
- Time management; staying in control of the situation, time, thoughts, and actions.
- Memory recall; also related to how information is learnt and ‘memorized' – a reminder or trigger cues for recall.
- Metagognitive skills; see “thinking about thinking” (link at #11).
- Training in context; chose a realistic situation.
- Situation awareness and mental simulation – visualization, but no details of how to improve situation assessment, except ...
- … pattern recognition, development of mental models.
- … pay attention to ambiguous, unexpected, or abnormal cues.
- Risk assessment and resource management; mental resources and workload.
“For maximized effectiveness
these are to be taught to pilots in naturalistic environments - time pressure, high workload, uncertainty, dynamic situations and other people involved”.
Ref 1.
Naturalistic Decision Making in Aviation Environments.