Definition
A structured process used by a pilot before and during a flight to identify hazards, weigh their likelihood and severity, and decide whether the combined risk is acceptable, mitigatable, or grounds to cancel or change the flight.
Plain English
A simple, repeatable way to look at everything that could go wrong on a flight, score how serious each item is, and use that picture to make a go, adjust, or no-go decision.
Context Anchor
Seen in preflight planning and FAA risk management discussions, especially when using a risk assessment matrix before deciding whether a flight should go as planned.
Why Pilots Care
It turns vague worries into clear decisions that help prevent accidents and support safer go or no-go choices.
Intuition Check
Do not read “program” as only a computer program or a training course. Here it means an organized process the pilot follows each time to judge and manage flight risk.
Example Sentence 1
Before the cross-country, she ran her flight school's risk assessment program and the score came back high due to low rest and forecast crosswinds, so she delayed departure by three hours.
Example Sentence 2
Using the risk assessment program, the instructor and student identified fatigue as a moderate risk and added an extra rest stop.