Plain English Meaning

A four-question check a pilot runs through to weigh up a risk before deciding what to do. You ask what could go wrong, what other choices you have, whether you're being honest with yourself about the situation, and whether outside pressures are pushing you toward a bad decision.

Full Definition

A risk-evaluation tool used in the Process step of the FAA's 3P (Perceive-Process-Perform) risk management model. After hazards have been perceived, the pilot evaluates each one by considering its Consequences (what could go wrong), Alternatives (other courses of action), Reality (an honest look at the actual situation rather than the desired one), and External factors (pressures or influences from outside the such as schedule, passengers, or expectations).