SLOJ

Aviation loves acronyms. VFR - Visual Flight Rules, HEC - Human External Cargo, VNE - Velocity Never Exceed, and then there is SLOJ - Sudden Loss of Judgement.

These are situations where the pilot suddenly decides to follow a course of action that is not thought through and usually creates a hazard, or even a danger, to the crew, the aircraft, and even himself. A good clue that SLOJ has occurred is you saying to yourself “WTF?”

The NTSB (American National Transportation Safety Board) referred to SLOJ as a causal factor in the S-76 crash that killed Kobe Bryant. Referencing the pilot, they said “Basically the scenario that we believe happened is that he’s flying along, he realizes that he’s sort of getting boxed in with visibility. And then he must have made the decision. “You know what, I’m just going to punch up through these clouds and get on top.” This SLOJ led to disorientation and loss of control of the aircraft.

As an active crew it is challenging to stay on top of things and have the constant situational awareness that perceives SLOJ in time to react and correct it. Professional crews look out for each other at all times and use their communication skills to capture SLOJ and replace it with superior thinking.

In Search of the Perfect Crew