Definition
A symptom of fatigue in which a pilot's actions, while still technically correct, are performed too early, too late, or out of sequence relative to what the situation requires. The individual steps may look right in isolation, but they are no longer matched to the right moment.
Plain English
When you're tired, you may still do the right things — just not at the right time. You react a beat late, start a checklist too soon, or skip ahead and come back to a step you missed.
Context Anchor
Seen in fatigue and human performance discussions, especially when reviewing mistakes during checklists, radio calls, takeoffs, landings, and instruction.
Why Pilots Care
These errors can compromise safety during critical phases of flight where precise timing is essential.
Grounding Statement
Fatigue can shift when actions happen, not just whether the person knows what to do.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as simply being slow. An error in timing can mean acting too soon, waiting too long, or doing steps in the wrong order.
Example Sentence 1
After the third leg of a long day, the instructor noticed errors in timing — the student was beginning the before-landing checklist either far too early or scrambling through it on short final.
Example Sentence 2
Instructors must recognize errors in timing as a sign of student fatigue during training flights.