A Review of the Literature Pertaining to Decision Making in Aviation

Dear colleagues,

Here is an academic paper I wrote back in 2005. Although much has changed in the last few decades, much of the content is still highly relevant today. I hope you find the paper useful and informative!

Abstract

A review of the literature in aviation decision making was conducted to explore some of the theoretical and practical applications that could be beneficial to pilots. Improper decisions have been implicated in more than 50% of general aviation accidents. While there is an increased research component in this important domain, there still appears to be an overall lackadaisical attitude in fully addressing aeronautical decision making skills during initial pilot training where it will be most beneficial. Technical skills alone are just not enough to make a safe pilot. It is intended that this paper will shed additional light on how pilots make decisions and how those decisions can be erroneously influenced by basic cognitive limitations.

To read the paper, click here.