Previous studies of general aviation (GA) accidents have shown that decision errors are often associated with

fatal GA accidents, particularly those involving continued visual flight rules (VFR) flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). Existing literature suggests that knowledge, experience, motivation, and weather information frequently have all been identified as causal factors of weather-related GA accidents. Put

simply, many GA pilots simply did not realize the extent of the adverse weather they were flying into. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of weather recognition training on GA pilots’ in-flight decision-making under gradually aggravating weather conditions.

METHODS: Forty GA pilots were recruited locally in South Carolina and randomly split into two groups: 20 

pilots (experimental group) received roughly 30 minutes of pre-flight training using WeatherWise (a Federal Aviation Administration approved computer-based weather training program developed to improve GA pilot weather-related decision-making) and 20 pilots (control group) received training on the effects of mental fatigue.

After computer-based training, flight planning, and a weather briefing, all subjects were tasked with flying a simulated flight over a mountain ridge into progressively deteriorating weather conditions. They were instructed that the aircraft (a Cessna 172) was not certified for instrument flight and that the flight was to be flown using

VFR only.

RESULTS: The WeatherWise training group exhibited a significantly better weather assessment as measured by their ceiling estimation and decision accuracy as measured by the distance flown into adverse weather condition. Moreover, the WeatherWise training group was more conservative when deciding whether to fly into adverse weather conditions. Of note, no significant differences between groups were found in the pilot’s risk assessment or decision confidence.

DISCUSSION: WeatherWise training was effective at increasing the accuracy of weather decision-making and reducing the likelihood that pilots would fly into adverse weather.

Learning Objectives:

1 Describe how general aviation pilot’s decide to proceed into deteriorating weather conditions.

2 Identify useful tools for training general aviation pilots on in-flight

weather decision-making.