Avoiding Complacency in Technically Advanced Aircraft: Why the 3-P Process Matters
One of the greatest threats to experienced pilots isn’t a lack of knowledge—it’s complacency.
As pilots accumulate hundreds or even thousands of hours in aircraft equipped with sophisticated avionics like the Garmin Perspective Touch+, many tasks become routine. Programming the FMS, activating VNAV, loading approaches, and managing the autopilot can all feel almost automatic. That’s exactly when mistakes become more likely.
The danger isn’t that the automation fails. The danger is assuming it won’t.
Experience Can Become a Double-Edged Sword
Early in our training, we’re methodical. We carefully review every clearance, verify every waypoint, and scrutinize every flight mode annunciation. We actively question whether the airplane is doing what we expect.
As experience grows, it’s tempting to replace verification with assumption.
Thoughts like these begin to creep in:
- “I’ve done this hundreds of times.”
- “The airplane knows what I want.”
- “It always works.”
- “I’m sure I entered that correctly.”
These assumptions are the foundation of automation complacency.
The airplane executes exactly what it has been told—not necessarily what the pilot intended.
Modern Avionics Require Active Management
Aircraft equipped with integrated avionics are often described as “automation management” aircraft rather than “stick-and-rudder” aircraft.
The pilot’s primary role shifts from manipulating the controls to continuously managing:
- The flight plan
- Navigation modes
- Vertical navigation
- Aircraft energy
- Flight guidance
- System automation
This requires continuous monitoring rather than passive observation.
Automation should never replace situational awareness.
The FAA’s 3-P Process
One of the FAA’s most effective tools for combating complacency is the 3-P Process:
PERCEIVE, PROCESS and PERFORM…
STEP 1: Perceive… Hazards
PAVE Checklist
1. Pilot
IMSAFE Checklist – Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue and External Factors/Emotions
2. Aircraft
AAVIATES Checklist – Airworthiness Directives, Annual Inspection, VOR Check (30 Days), 100 Hour Inspection, Altimeter Inspection (24 months), Transponder Test (24 Months), ELT Inspection (12 months), Static System Inspection (24 months),
3. EnVironment
NWKRAFT – NOTAMS, Weather, Known ATC Delays, Runway Environment Conditions, Alternates, Fuel Requirements and Takeoff and Landing Data
4. External Factors: Pressures, attitudes, and stresses.
STEP 2: Process… Hazards
CARE Checklist
1. Consequences
2. Alternatives
3. Reality
4. External Factors
STEP 3: Perform…
TEAM Checklist
1. Transfer Hazards
2. Eliminate Hazards
3. Accept Hazards
4. Mitigate Hazards
By completing the 3-P process, pilots PERCEIVE, PROCESS and PERFORM in relationship with potential hazards they might encounter during each and every flight. Making this part of your preflight planning and preparation will enhance your safety, enhance situational awareness and help you avoid complacency.
Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) has Three Phases:
a. Preflight: Collect, analyze, process all information relevant to the safe outcome of the flight to make a thoughtful go or no-go decision.
— Previous luck, good fortune, skills, and success of any previous flight will never dictate the outcome of your current flight, or any future flights for that matter. Watch for Normalization of Deviance. Normalization of deviance is a phenomenon where people or groups become accustomed to a deviation from standard operating procedures (SOP) and no longer consider it deviant.
b. Inflight: Actively review automation, in flight resources, information and performance during flight conditions.
— Compare real-time information with preflight planning information and process changes.
— Decide what actions should be taken, if any.
c. Post Flight: Review your preflight ADM, inflight ADM, decisions, actions, results, and outcomes to find opportunities to learn and advance in ADM reliability.
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