FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-05/7

Title and Subtitle: The Influence of Visibility, Cloud Ceiling, Financial Incentive, and Personality Factors on General Aviation Pilots� Willingness to Take Off Into Marginal Weather, Part I: The Data and Preliminary Conclusions

Report Date: April 2005

Authors: Knecht W, Harris H, Shappell S

Abstract: Adverse weather is the leading cause of fatalities in general aviation (GA). In this research, influences of ground visibility, cloud ceiling height, financial incentive, and personality were tested on 60 GA pilots� willingness to take off into simulated adverse weather. Results suggested that pilots do not see �weather� as a monolithic cognitive construct but, rather, as an interaction between its separate factors. This was supported by the finding that the multiplicative statistical effect of visibility and ceiling could better predict takeoff than could the linear effect of either variable considered separately. Also found was a statistical trend toward financial incentive being able to predict takeoffs. However, none of the 10 personality tests (incorporating over 500 separate response items) could predict takeoff.

Key Words: General Aviation, VFR-Into-IMC, Adverse Weather, Marginal Weather, Accidents, Fatalities, Pilot Personality, Financial Incentive

No. of Pages: 44