Defective Decision Making
There are two basic principles that emerge in the analysis of aircraft mishaps that are
caused by defective decision making:
1) One bad decision often leads to another in a "snowball" effect.
2) A series of bad decisions reduces the alternatives for continued safe
flight. As time goes by, available alternatives decrease.
Decisions are based on information the aircrew member has about situational variables
dealing with the aircraft, the environment, operations and other crew members. A poor
judgment is less likely to be made if this information is accurate.
However, every poor judgment made increases the availability of false data, which may
then negatively influence judgments that follow. As the poor judgment chain grows, the
crew's situational awareness becomes more impaired and the alternatives decrease. If a
poor alternative is selected, the chance to select other options may be lost.