Definition
The first step in the risk management process, in which the pilot or instructor names a specific condition, event, object, or circumstance that could cause injury, damage, or loss during a flight or training activity. A hazard is a real, present source of potential harm — not a feeling, a guess, or the harm itself. Identifying it means stating clearly what the threat is so it can be evaluated and managed in the steps that follow.
Plain English
Look at the flight or lesson and name anything specific that could cause trouble. Until you can point to it and say what it is, you cannot do anything about it.
Context Anchor
Used when applying the FAA risk management process during preflight planning, in-flight decision-making, and aviation instruction.
Derivation
‘Hazard’ comes from the Old French ‘hasard,’ a game of chance, which came to mean any source of danger or risk. In aviation it keeps that flavor: a hazard is something present in the situation that could lead to a bad outcome if left unmanaged.
Why Pilots Care
Spotting hazards early lets pilots address them before they become accidents.
Grounding Statement
Before a pilot can reduce a risk, the pilot must first know exactly what condition or situation is creating it.
Intuition Check
Do not assume the hazard is the accident itself. In this context, a hazard is the condition or situation that could lead to trouble if it is not handled.
Example Sentence 1
During preflight planning, the instructor identified the hazard of a short, wet runway combined with a tailwind on departure.
Example Sentence 2
During the lesson the instructor asked the student to repeat Step 1: Identify the Hazard for a new cross-country route.