Definition
In aviation, hazards are conditions, events, objects, or circumstances that could contribute to an unplanned or undesired event such as an accident, incident, injury, or damage to aircraft or property. A hazard is the source of potential harm — it is not the harm itself, and it is not the same as the risk that arises from it.
Plain English
A hazard is anything that could lead to something going wrong in flight or on the ground. It's the underlying source of trouble — like a worn tire, a thunderstorm nearby, or a distracted pilot — not the trouble itself.
Context Anchor
Used in aviation training, flight planning, preflight briefings, and safety discussions when identifying what could make a flight or lesson unsafe.
Derivation
From the Old French 'hasard,' originally a game of dice, later coming to mean a chance of loss or danger. The aviation use keeps the sense of 'a source of possible harm' rather than the harm itself.
Why Pilots Care
Identifying hazards is the first step in managing risk. A pilot who can spot hazards before flight — in the weather, the aircraft, the route, or themselves — has a real chance to reduce or eliminate the risk they create. Missed hazards become surprise risks in the air.
Intuition Check
Do not read hazards as only obvious dangers. In aviation, a hazard can also be a small condition that becomes serious when combined with other problems.
Example Sentence 1
Before each flight, the instructor walks the student through identifying hazards such as weather, terrain, aircraft condition, and pilot fatigue.
Example Sentence 2
Instructors emphasize spotting hazards like power lines or birds during low-level flight training.