Greg: At NWA we are spending a great deal of time enforcing the idea
of using a decision making PROCESS when it comes to those situations
where a checklist, procedure, or scripted response doesn't fit.
Obviously, we don't have the right textbook answers for every case,
because there wouldn't be a book big enough to tackle every situation.
However, we can still enforce the behavior of using a decision making
PROCESS in all cases. The process we are using is the FATE model. Most
of the people on this forum probably have heard of this before. For
those who haven't, FATE stands for Fly the aircraft, Assess the
Situation, Take action, and Evaluate the decision. We use it at NWA
because the first step on our emergency checklists is Fly The Airplane.
We are stressing the importance of using good assessment practices, using
all the resources available before action is taken. The problems occur
when pilots go from F to T without the A! Then, when they get to the E,
they realize they skipped step A. Am I making myself clear? I hope so!
We also emphasize how most pilots base decisions on past experiences, but
these past experiences may not have anything to do with their present
situation. By using the FATE model, they can assure themselves of using
a decision making process rather than just jumping to a solution. If you
would like more information on pilots and decision making, look no
further than Judith Orasanu at NASA Ames. She is considered to be an
expert in the field when it comes to pilots and decision making. (Isn't
that right, Judith?)
Good Luck. I hope you take FATE into your own hands, and make the right
decision.
Tony Sasso
Northwest Airlines
Senior CRM Specialist