ons quickly invoke boredom and a loss of focus. Always realize this and ensure you are vigilant. Habits can be good and bad. Training is a major part of a pilot’s daily routine. Some tasks or performance levels may actually increase likelihood of error in an emergency or other task saturating situation simply due to the required response. Add a cross check to ensure the procedure you are following is applicable to the situation. Preconceived notions and expectations may reduce your assessment of a situation. This occurs in conjunction with anticipation and while an integral part of your decision process don’t fall into the trap of believing that because a certain response is designed to alleviate an in-flight problem that it will actually be successful. Continue to assess your current situation and react according to what is happening not what is expected. This also occurs during the listening process. Don’t believe something that was said because you expect it, Listen! The longer something takes it is less likely to be completed without error. As humans we do not perform mundane tasks exceptionally well. Boredom and distraction are continues foes that we must strive to overcome. Recognize this and pay extra attention to longer tasks or if distracted force your attention back to ongoing events to ensure they are proceeding according to plan. Reliable systems aren’t always reliable. Airplanes are more reliable now than anytime in history. Automation and technological improvements have made flying safer and less complex than ever before. Just because a system is designed to control some aspect of flight and backup systems are available don’t believe it will be totally reliable 100 percent of the time. The one time you assume it works correctly will be the time it fails and you fail to notice. Distractions come in many forms. Aircraft are complex equipment systems and the environment they o...
