Why do pilots continue flying when conditions are deteriorating? In this extract from Jonny Greenall’s Killer Instinct presentation at EU Rotors, we explore get-there-itis, self-imposed pressure and the dangers of pressing on simply because you are almost there. Turning back is not failure; it is good airmanship.

“I’m Almost There…” – The Danger of Get-There-Itis

An excerpt from Jonny Greenall’s upcoming presentation, “Killer Instinct”, at the EASA Rotor Safety Zone, EU Rotors.

The most dangerous few miles

“I’ve come this far. It would be stupid to turn around now.”

Sound familiar?

You have completed most of the flight. The destination is getting closer, the weather was acceptable when you departed, and you have already invested the time and effort to get this far.

Turning around now feels like a failure. Perhaps the weather will improve. Perhaps that gap in the clouds is enough. Perhaps you can just squeeze through.

And that is precisely where the trouble can begin.

Get-there-itis

In aviation, this behaviour is often called get-there-itis — the determination to reach the intended destination, even when circumstances suggest that continuing is no longer the safest option.

It is closely linked to continuation bias: once we have committed to a plan, we tend to keep following it, even when the situation changes.

The problem is not necessarily that the original decision was wrong. The weather may have been perfectly acceptable at departure.

The problem is failing to change the plan when the facts change.

The psychology of the decision

Turning around can feel like admitting defeat.

We have made a plan, told people where we are going and perhaps arranged to meet someone at a particular time. We have invested fuel, money, time and effort.

Now we face a choice: continue, divert, turn back or land.

Our own expectations can start to influence the decision more than the actual conditions. We begin looking for reasons to continue rather than objectively assessing whether we should.

This is plan continuation bias, reinforced by self-imposed pressure.

And the further we travel, the harder it can become to accept that the right decision is to stop.

The weather does not care about your plans

Accident investigations have highlighted the “get-home-itis” phenomenon:

““Get-home-itis” phenomenon pushing the pilot to undertake and then continue a flight despite deteriorating aerological conditions;”

Helicopter pilots are particularly familiar with the temptation to press on. We can often find somewhere to land, follow terrain or consider alternative routes. Our aircraft may be capable of operating in a wide range of environments.

But none of that changes the fundamental risk.

Deteriorating visibility, lowering cloud, rising terrain or worsening wind conditions do not become less dangerous because we are nearly at our destination.

Nor does having made it through the last valley guarantee that the next one will be any better.

The destination is not the objective. Arriving safely is.

Turning around is a decision, not a failure

A good pilot does not measure success by completing every planned flight.

Sometimes the best decision is to divert. Sometimes it is to land and wait. Sometimes it is to turn around while the conditions still allow you to do so safely.

The difficult part is making that decision early enough.

Do not wait until the weather has deteriorated to the point where your options are disappearing. Set limits before departure, monitor conditions as the flight progresses, and be prepared to act when those limits are reached.

And remember you do not need to prove that your original decision was wrong before you are allowed to change it.

You simply need to recognise that the situation has changed.

Ask yourself one question

The next time you find yourself thinking, “I’m almost there”, stop and ask:

“If I were making this decision from where I am right now, knowing what I know now, would I still continue?”

If the answer is no, why are you pressing on?

Because you have come this far?

That is not a reason to continue. It is a reason to protect the flight you have already completed by making sure you can finish it safely.

“Failure” is always an option….

This is another human factor explored in Jonny Greenall’s upcoming presentation, “Killer Instinct”, at the EASA Rotor Safety Zone during EU Rotors.