FRAT Methodology

The Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) is a structured method for evaluating the aggregate risk of a specific flight before departure. Rather than relying solely on individual judgment, the FRAT provides a repeatable, documented process that considers multiple risk factors and produces a risk score that supports the go/no-go decision.

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Why Use a FRAT?

Human judgment is susceptible to cognitive biases that degrade risk assessment quality. Confirmation bias leads pilots to underweight factors that contradict their desire to fly. Normalization of deviance gradually raises tolerance for conditions that were once considered unacceptable. Social pressure — from passengers, management, or self-imposed schedule obligations — subtly shifts the risk calculus. The FRAT counters these biases by:

1. Forcing consideration of all factors. The checklist format ensures that no major risk category is overlooked, even when the assessor is focused on one dominant factor.
2. Quantifying subjective judgment. Assigning numeric scores to risk factors makes the aggregate risk visible and comparable.
3. Establishing objective thresholds. Pre-defined score ranges map to required actions, removing the subjectivity from the go/no-go decision.
4. Creating a documented record. Each completed FRAT is a record of the risk assessment at the time of the decision, supporting both operational learning and regulatory compliance.

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Risk Factor Categories

The PlaneConnection FRAT evaluates risk across six categories, each containing multiple individual factors.

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Crew Factors

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Environmental Factors

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Aircraft Factors

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Operational Factors

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Airport Factors

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Organizational Factors

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Scoring Methodology

Each risk factor is scored on a 1—5 scale:

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Aggregate Score Calculation

The aggregate FRAT score is the weighted sum of all individual factor scores. Weights are fully configurable per organization to reflect your operation’s specific risk profile.

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Decision Thresholds

PlaneConnection provides five risk zones — from Low (proceed normally) through Critical (do not dispatch). Each zone maps to escalating review and mitigation requirements. Thresholds are configurable in your workspace settings to align with your organization’s risk appetite and operational procedures.

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FRAT Completion Workflow

The FRAT is completed as part of the pre-flight process and is linked to the trip record.

1. Auto-population — PlaneConnection pre-fills known factors from operational data: weather from METAR/TAF, crew fatigue from FRMS, MEL deferrals from maintenance records, and airport data from the navigation database.
2. Crew assessment — the PIC reviews pre-filled values, adjusts any that do not reflect actual conditions, and scores subjective factors.
3. Score calculation — the system calculates the aggregate score and displays the risk zone.
4. Mitigation documentation — if the score requires mitigations, the PIC documents what actions are being taken to reduce risk.
5. Approval (if required) — elevated scores route to the appropriate authority for review and approval.
6. Record — the completed FRAT is attached to the trip binder and retained as part of the operational record.

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Connecting FRAT to SMS

The FRAT is both a flight-level risk tool and a source of Safety Assurance data:

• SPI tracking — average FRAT scores, distribution by risk zone, and percentage of flights requiring mitigation are tracked as Safety Performance Indicators.
• Trend analysis — recurring high scores on specific factors indicate systemic issues (e.g., consistently high fatigue scores may indicate a scheduling problem).
• Safety reports — if a FRAT identifies a novel hazard, the PIC can create a safety report directly from the FRAT form.
• Management review — FRAT analytics are included in the Executive Dashboard and management review materials.

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