Engineering Commons^™

The Influence Of Motivation And Investment On The Length Of Time Pilots Fly Into Degraded Weather, Bonnie M. Saxton

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

Approximately 75% of weather-related accidents result in fatalities and are a primary safety concern in aviation. This study attempted to understand how financial motivation and time investment influence the length of time pilots fly into degraded weather. The sunk-cost effect claims that financially motivated pilots would continue longer when weather is encountered late in the flight. The results revealed that the financially motivated pilots continued longer than the non-financially motivated pilots when weather was encountered early in the flight. These results support the situation assessment hypothesis and cognitive anchoring. Specifically, how pilots assess the situation and utilize information obtained before …