ABSTRACT
Air traffic controllers make decisions most of the time, from strategic flow management to tactical resolution of aircraft conflicts. Unfortunately, the decisions that get most attention by public media are those that result in adverse events, (e.g., the decision to allow a take off without ensuring that the runway was clear of traffic in a foggy night). While the majority of aviation incidents may be due to tactical and coordination problems, decision errors are those most likely to have serious consequences for flight safety. Hence, effective decision-making is very important for maintaining safe operations, especially under threatening conditions (Helmreich, Klinect, and Wilhelm 2001). Decision-making requires a lot of cognitive effort which adds up to the existing taskload of controllers and creates the conditions for poor human performance. For this reason, Eurocontrol and FAA have established standard procedures and checklists for a range of typical scenarios in order to simplify everyday decision-making. However, poor decisions still occur in routine operations (Orasanu 1993) due to adverse work conditions that increase risk (e.g., high workload, bad weather or heavy traffic). Controllers are usually the last line of defense as procedures and automated systems cannot always cope with all emergencies.
