General Aviation Joint Steering Committee
CFIT Working Group
Outreach Guidance Document
2022/11/14-266(I)PP
This outreach guidance is provided to all FAA and aviation industry groups that are participating in outreach efforts sponsored by the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC). It is important that all outreach on a given topic is coordinated and is free of conflicts. Therefore, all outreach products should be in alignment with the outline and concepts listed below for this topic.
Outreach Month: November 2024
Topic: CFIT and Normalization of Deviation Bias
The FAA and industry will conduct a public education campaign emphasizing the dangers posed by human biases in cases of controlled flight into terrain
Background:
GAJSC study of General Aviation CFIT Accidents suggested that human biases, particularly Plan Continuation Bias, may compromise effective pilot decision making and lead to CFIT accidents.
Teaching Points:
- Human biases are patterns of reasoning that weigh the value of information according to pre-conceived beliefs. Biases present as a prejudice in favor or or against one thing, person, or group compared with another; often in a way considered to be unfair.
- Normalization of Deviance Bias features progressive deviation from standards and limitations resulting in new norms.
- As deviation from standards and limitations progresses, system safety factors are eroded or lost.
- Pilots should commit to operating within established standards, limitations, and norms.
- Development and documentation of personal minimums and periodic objective pilot performance assessments should be made in consultation with a Flight Instructor.
- Objective in-flight “how-goes-it?” assessments should be made in order to confirm that operations are conducted within standards, limitations, and norms.
References:
- CFIT & Normalization of Deviance Power Point
- Available on the National FAASTeam Share Point site under Approved Resources.
