Definition
One of five specific patterns of thinking identified by the FAA that can lead a pilot to make unsafe decisions: anti-authority ("don't tell me"), impulsivity ("do something quickly"), invulnerability ("it won't happen to me"), macho ("I can do it"), and resignation ("what's the use"). Each pattern interferes with sound judgment and aeronautical decision-making, and each has a corresponding antidote the pilot is trained to apply when the attitude surfaces.
Plain English
A way of thinking that pushes a pilot toward bad decisions. The FAA names five of these mental traps so pilots can spot them in themselves and shut them down before they cause trouble.
Context Anchor
Seen in aviation instructor training and pilot decision-making discussions, especially when teaching pilots to recognize unsafe thought patterns before they affect a flight.
Derivation
"Hazardous" comes from the Old French hasard, meaning a game of chance or risk. "Attitude" here uses its psychological sense -- a settled way of thinking -- not the aviation sense of aircraft pitch and bank. Together the phrase means "a mental stance that creates risk."
Why Pilots Care
These attitudes can lead to poor decisions that increase the chance of an accident.
Grounding Statement
A hazardous attitude is not a bad personality; it is a risky thought pattern that can show up in a specific moment and affect a pilot’s next decision.
Intuition Check
Do not confuse attitude here with aircraft attitude, such as nose-up or banked flight. In this context, attitude means a pilot’s mindset or way of thinking.
Example Sentence 1
During the debrief, the instructor pointed out that pressing on into deteriorating weather reflected the hazardous attitude of invulnerability.
Example Sentence 2
The instructor pointed out the hazardous attitude of impulsivity when the student rushed through the preflight checklist.