To achieve the safety and efficiency benefits of good flight preparation, all crewmembers should strive for high-quality briefings. Loss of horizontal or vertical situational awarenessīriefings should help both the pilot flying (PF) and the pilot not flying (PNF) understand the desired sequence of events and actions, as well as the condition of the aircraft and any special hazards or circumstances involved in the planned flight sequence.

Lack of understanding of prevailing conditions.Most of the incidents and accidents related to poor flight preparation are due to: The quality of approach and go-around briefings has been determined to be a causal factor in approximately 50 percent of approach and landing accidents (Flight Safety Foundation, 1998-1999). Many aviation incidents and accidents can be linked in some way to flaws in flight preparation. Also, the crew should agree upon procedures to be used in case of unexpected events that might disrupt the normal pattern of flight operations. By the end of the flight-preparation phase, the crew should have a shared mental model of the flight plan and possible problems that might arise in normal operations. This is one of the most critical moments for developing crew synergy because vital and often irreversible decisions are made (e.g., dispatch fuel quantity, loading, deicing, routing). A thorough briefing should be conducted regardless of how familiar the crewmembers are with the flight plan and each other. In-depth takeoff, cruise and approach/go-around briefings should be conducted before each flight to ensure understanding among crewmembers and the effective application of crew resource management ( Crew Resource Management). Briefings are an essential part of flight preparation and represent a critical moment for team building, leadership establishment and an opportunity to gather and select all operational data pertinent to the upcoming flight. This information represents a minimum that should be covered for proper flight preparation.įlight preparation is part of the transition from normal life to the highly dynamic environment of flight. This briefing note is not intended to modify or supersede a company’s standard operating procedures ( Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)) for flight preparation. The focus is not only on briefings between the pilots but also on including the entire crew in order to promote synergy. It provides an outline of how to structure and conduct effective preflight briefings. This briefing note illustrates the importance of flight preparation and discusses the details of conducting effective briefings.

Pre flight checklist example