Making Decisions That Don't Suck

DEEP DIVE

🤔 Decisions, Decisions

Decision making is one of our core pilot competencies.

Normally it’s grouped together with problem solving.

Here’s what EASAs says about it/us:

• Makes decisions in a timely manner

• Is able to take quick decisions sometimes with minimum information and under tight deadlines or other pressure

• Manages risks appropriately and successfully

• Adapts risk appetite to organisational and situational context.

OK cool - but what does that really mean?

💡 Different tools, same job.

Sometimes the situation’s simple and the safest/best decision is easy to see.

Other times, we might need to give things some more thought and formalise the thinking a bit.

That doesn’t mean standing up and announcing, “We are now commencing the decision-making process!” (although I have seen that done 🤤)

But following a structure has serious benefits.

It slows your brain just enough to weigh up all the options and avoid rushing into a bad call.

Sometimes I’ll literally get out a notepad and write it out - a table, a list, a few boxes to tick. Old-school, but it works.

You don’t have to use a structure. It’s not mandatory.

But it gives you guidance - especially when your brain, or a 65-tonne jet, is trying to distract you!

One of the most common - and most useful - tools is TDODAR.

It’s taught and shared widely, and easy to run under pressure.

But, it’s not the only option.

You might’ve heard of FORDEC (big in Europe/Asia), DECIDE (favoured by the FAA), or the military’s OODA Loop.

Each has its quirks.

But they all do the same thing.

Help you think clearly, even when your brain wants to sprint to the answer.

Before we jump into any structured decision-making, we need to check we’re still doing the basics.

Fly. Navigate. Communicate.

That’s Airbus Golden Rule #1 for a reason.

Stabilise things first - then solve the problem.

If there’s an ECAM, we run it to completion. We want to hear those magic words “ECAM actions complete”.

We need to configure the aircraft in the best possible way for the failure we have, and the ECAM helps us do exactly that.

Of course, not every problem comes with an ECAM. And that’s fine. This process works for any decision - in the air, on the ground, flight-related or not.

I watched one crew run it for a passenger medical situation and it worked a treat.

Once we’ve done those things, we can step into the structure. (While still FNC-ing, please! 🤣)

TDODAR

🍵 Time for T(ea)

Our first step is to establish our time frame.

How long do we actually have to make this decision?

Minutes?

Hours?

Do we even have time to run a TDODAR?

If we’ve got three hours of fuel and a hydraulic issue, we've got space to think. We can work through the process methodically, confirm our understanding, and make a clean, confident call.

If we’ve only got thirty minutes and the same fault, our decision space shrinks fast.

Now it’s about choosing the best available option more quickly.

Time sets the pace for everything that follows. So we always start here.

But of course what we really mean by time… is fuel.

Because in the air, Time = Fuel = Options. It really is that simple.

That’s why a solid ‘time/fuel check’ gives support to what’s about to follow.

It provides focus, creates margin, and helps align the crew around a shared pace.

On the 320 I just look at my fuel and times it by 3.

Say we have 3258kg or 3.2T

Knock off the reserve, say 1.1 and that gives 2.1

2.1 × 3 = 63 minutes.

We’ll talk about fuel leaks another time but that’s maths even I can do!

Some operators drop the T and use DODAR, leaving time as an implied factor.

And that’s fine too, but it doesn’t mean you can ignore it!

Making time explicit means we won’t forget to check it first. And when pressure’s building, that’s what buys us space to think.

🔍 D – Diagnose: What’s going on, really?

This is where most bad decisions begin - by solving the wrong problem.

Our brains want speed and simplicity. So we jump to conclusions and fill in the blanks. Classic confirmation bias.

We start with a theory and then look for things that support it, ignoring anything that doesn’t quite fit.

So, before we push forward, we need to ask: ‘What problem(s) are we actually trying to solve?’

One of the best ways to do this is to simply ask:

“What did you see happen?”

This aligns our mental models. Maybe your colleague saw something you didn’t.

You saw and engine failure but they saw a flock of birds too.

That changes things…

From here we gather facts.

Use the ECAM. Use the QRH summary. Use the status page (its a list of problems!) Talk to each other - maybe the cabin crew and ATC as well.

And factor in context: How much time do we have? What systems are affected? What’s the weather doing? What’s the crew state?

It’s vital at this stage that we’re solving the right problem. 

Because if we get this wrong, the rest of TDODAR won’t save us.

🧠 O – Options: What can we actually do?

Now that we’ve got a handle on the problem, it’s time to lay out our options.

In most airborne situations, it boils down to three core choices:

Continue. Divert. Return.

But the value isn’t in naming them - it’s in working out what’s driving them.

Weather. Fuel. Runway length. Terrain.
Performance penalties. MEL items. Cabin considerations.

This is where our CRM matters.

We bring all available resources together - ND, ECAM, MCDU, cabin crew, ATC, even ops/engineers if needed.

Then we use that input to assess the risks and benefits of each option.

Not just “Can we?” - but “Should we?” and “What happens if we’re wrong?”

If looking for nearby fields don’t forget the ND range and Closest Airfields page on the MCDU.

We don’t need to pick a winner just yet.

We just need a clear picture of the real choices - and the real consequences.

There’s no set number of options that we need but 2 or 3 tends to be a good starting point.

And if nothing looks good, we widen the net.

✅ D – Decide: Pick an option.

We’ve laid out the options. Now it’s time to choose.

We’re not aiming for perfect. It’s about making the best decision with what we know right now.

A good way to approach this is to get your own thoughts straight first, then ask your colleague a simple, open question:

It keeps the conversation neutral and gives both of you a chance to check your mental models before knowing what the other person’s thinking.

I always think of it like playing cards. You want to know what the other person has before revealing your own hand.

If we agree—great. If not, we figure out why. That discussion helps build shared clarity.

Once we’re aligned, we say it out loud:

That makes it real. It’s clear, specific, and gets the plan moving.

One technique I stole from another crew - (most of my best ideas are stolen) - is to follow the decision with:

This flips the thinking.

It challenges the plan we just built.

And sometimes, it catches something we hadn’t considered.

I like it anyway…

🛠 A – Assign: Make it happen

Now we’ve got a decision, it’s time to turn it into action.

That means clearly assigning roles and responsibilities. Who’s flying? (you should already know this!) Who’s talking? Who’s building the new plan in the FMGC?

Manage. The. Workload!

It doesn’t need to be complicated:

The point is clarity.

Everyone knows what they’re doing, in what order, and why.

And this goes beyond just us.

The cabin crew need the full picture too - not just a rushed “We’re diverting.”

Use a proper NITS brief:

• Nature of the problem

• Intentions

• Time until landing or action

• Special instructions (if any)

It’s quick, structured, and helps the cabin prep properly - without guesswork.

Meanwhile, ATC might need to hear from us.

Ops might be asking questions we haven’t even thought of.

And please don’t forget the passengers. You can use the NITS format again but keep it non-technical.

The more complex the situation, the more important this step becomes.

It’s not really about taking over everything. It’s about making sure nothing gets dropped.

Personally? I go a bit old school here again. I scribble the tasks out and tick them off as we go.

What comes first will depend on the context. But usually, it’s ATC - so they can give us space to work or get us going in the right direction.

After that? We work the list, adapt to the day, and keep things in the cockpit flowing.

🔄 R – Review: Is the plan still working?

We’ve made a decision. We’ve put it into action. We’re all set to head off for medals and glory.

But that doesn’t mean we’re done.

Now we step back and ask: Is this still the right plan?

We can review at any time - but just before execution is often a smart moment.

Conditions change. Fuel burns. Runway availability shifts. Cabin issues evolve. ATC surprises us.

What made perfect sense twenty minutes ago (or longer - looking at you dual hydraulics!) might not hold up now.

This is where we catch plan continuation bias - the urge to keep going just because we’ve already committed.

So we check in:

• “Is this still valid?”

• “Anything new that changes the picture?”

• “If we had to decide again, would we still choose this?”

Or even better. A non closed question

This isn’t indecision. It’s awareness.

We’re not second guessing ourselves. We’re staying tuned in - ready to flex if the situation demands it.

Sometimes Review confirms we’re on track.

Sometimes it stops us flying into extra paperwork.

Either way, it’s the moment that separates a decision made from a decision owned.

IN CLOSING

So, whether it's a technical issue at FL390 or choosing between that extra coffee or getting to the briefing room on time (always choose the coffee, btw), having a framework keeps us grounded.

Remember:

• Time: Know how much you have

• Diagnose: Understand the real problem

• Options: Lay out the real choices

• Decide: Make the call

• Assign: Turn it into action

• Review: Stay flexible

The best pilots aren't the ones who never face problems - they're the ones who handle them with calm, clarity, and structure.

And if you're ever in doubt? Just remember that good decisions come from experience. And experience? Well, that comes from bad decisions. 😉