Definition
In aviation safety and Threat and Error Management (TEM), a threat is any event or condition that occurs outside the influence of the flight crew, increases operational complexity, and must be managed to maintain safety margins. Threats include weather, terrain, traffic, airport conditions, aircraft malfunctions, and operational pressures.
Plain English
Anything happening around the flight that the crew didn't cause but has to deal with to keep the flight safe.
Context Anchor
Used in preflight planning, weather decisions, cockpit decision-making, and discussions of risk before or during a flight.
Derivation
From Old English 'threat,' originally meaning a press, crowd, or oppression — something pressing against you. In aviation safety the sense is similar: an external pressure pushing on the flight that the crew must push back against.
Why Pilots Care
Recognizing threats allows pilots to anticipate problems and take actions to prevent errors before they occur.
Intuition Check
Threat does not have to mean an immediate emergency or something intentionally dangerous. In aviation, a threat can be any condition that raises risk if it is not handled.
Example Sentence 1
During the preflight briefing, the captain identified gusty crosswinds and a contaminated runway as the primary threats for the approach.
Example Sentence 2
Fatigue from a long duty day was noted as an internal threat during the crew briefing.