Definition
The effective use of all available resources -- human, hardware, and information -- by a flight crew to achieve safe and efficient flight operations. It includes communication, leadership, decision-making, situational awareness, and teamwork among crew members and with outside resources such as air traffic control, dispatch, and maintenance.
Plain English
Working as a team and using everything and everyone available to you -- other crew members, controllers, instruments, checklists -- to fly safely and make good decisions.
Context Anchor
Seen in flight training, crew operations, instructor-student flights, safety discussions, and accident-prevention training.
Derivation
The phrase emerged in airline training in the late 1970s after accident investigations showed that many crashes happened not from a lack of skill, but from poor crew coordination and communication. "Resource" here means anything useful to the flight -- people, equipment, or information -- not just supplies.
Why Pilots Care
Reduces human-error accidents by ensuring the crew works together rather than relying on one person.
Intuition Check
Do not read “Crew Resource Management” as simply managing the crew or assigning jobs. In aviation, it means using all available help and information to support safe decisions and safe flight.
Example Sentence 1
Good Crew Resource Management means the first officer feels comfortable speaking up if they notice the captain making a mistake.
Example Sentence 2
Good crew resource management helped the team handle an unexpected weather change without rushing.