Definition
In aeronautical risk management, to remove a hazard entirely from a planned flight or operation so that it can no longer contribute to risk. Elimination is the strongest of the available risk controls because the hazard is no longer present, rather than merely reduced or guarded against.
Plain English
To get rid of a risk completely instead of just trying to manage it. If the hazard isn't there, it can't cause a problem.
Context Anchor
Used in risk-management discussions when deciding what to do about something that could make a flight or training activity unsafe.
Derivation
From Latin eliminare, meaning 'to turn out of doors' (ex- 'out' + limen 'threshold'). The original sense of putting something completely outside the door fits the aviation use: the hazard is shown the door, not just managed inside.
Why Pilots Care
Eliminating a risk is the most effective way to prevent accidents, as it requires no ongoing management.
Intuition Check
Do not read eliminate as merely reduce, avoid thinking about, or handle carefully. In this context, eliminate means the risk source is removed so that specific risk is no longer part of the operation.
Example Sentence 1
By rescheduling the flight to the following morning, the pilot eliminated the thunderstorm hazard from the route.
Example Sentence 2
During the briefing, the instructor showed how to eliminate a potential midair collision hazard by choosing a different route.