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be in a potential vortex ring state situation if she tried to trade airspeed for altitude and lost effective translational lift (ETL). Therefore, it did not appear that she would be able to terminate the approach in a hover. The pilot decided to make the shallowest approach possible and perform a run-on landing. 

Pilots sometimes have trouble not because of deficient basic skills or system knowledge, but because of faulty decision- making skills. Although aeronautical decisions may appear to be simple or routine, each individual decision in aviation often defines the options available for the next decision the pilot must make, and the options (good or bad) it provides. 

Therefore, a poor decision early in a flight can compromise the safety of the flight at a later time. It is important to make appropriate and decisive choices because good decision- making early in an emergency provide greater latitude for later options. 

## Decision-Making Models 

The decision-making process normally consists of several steps before a pilot chooses a course of action. A variety of structured frameworks for decision-making provide assistance in organizing the decision process. These models include but are not limited to the 5P (Plan, Plane, Pilot, Passengers, Programming), the OODA Loop (Observation, Orientation, Decision, Action), and the DECIDE (Detect, Estimate, Choose, Identify, Do, and Evaluate) models. [Figure 13-2]  All these models and their variations are discussed in detail in the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge section covering aeronautical decision-making. 

Whichever model is used, the pilot learns how to define the problem, choose a course of action, implement the decision, and evaluate the outcome. Remember, there is no one right answer in this process: a pilot analyzes the situation in light of experience level, personal minimums, and current physical and mental readiness levels, and then makes a decision. 

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