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In this tutorial, you will create a formal risk assessment in PlaneConnection — from identifying a hazard through rating its risk and documenting controls. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a documented risk assessment with a hazard, a risk rating, and controls — all stored in your SMS records.
Who should do this tutorial? Safety Managers who perform risk assessments as part of the SRM process. Pilots and crew may also participate in risk assessment during safety meetings or as part of pre-flight risk evaluation. You will need Safety Manager or Admin permissions to create risk assessments.

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Before you start

Make sure you have:
  • An active PlaneConnection account with Safety Manager or Admin role
  • Familiarity with the SMS module navigation (see the Quickstart)
When is a risk assessment required? Per 14 CFR 5.51, you must apply Safety Risk Management when designing new systems, making changes to existing systems, after identifying hazards through safety assurance, when existing risk controls are found to be ineffective, or when external changes affect your operations.
This tutorial uses the ICAO 5x5 risk matrix. If you are new to it, review the Risk Assessment Matrix before you start — it covers severity levels, likelihood categories, and risk zone definitions.

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Creating the risk assessment

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  • In the Safety module sidebar, click Hazards.
  • On the Hazards page, click the New Risk Assessment button.
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    You are now on the risk assessment form.
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    Identify the source
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    Every risk assessment should be traceable to a trigger — the event or condition that prompted the assessment. The form asks you to identify the source:
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    Select the source type that best describes what triggered this risk assessment, then select the linked record if applicable.
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    Describe the hazard
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    A hazard is a condition that could foreseeably cause or contribute to an aircraft accident (per 14 CFR 5.5).
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    Hazard description: Write a clear, specific description of the hazard. Include:
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  • What the hazard is
  • Where it exists (physical location, phase of flight, system, or process)
  • How it could lead to an undesirable outcome
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    Example: “Accumulation of ice on wing leading edges during flight in forecast light-to-moderate icing conditions without functioning de-icing boots.”
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    Hazard category: Classify the hazard. Common categories include:
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  • Flight Operations
  • Ground Operations
  • Maintenance
  • Aircraft Systems
  • Human Factors
  • Weather / Environment
  • ATC / Airspace
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    A well-defined hazard is specific enough that someone unfamiliar with the situation can understand the risk. Avoid vague descriptions like “weather risk.” Instead, describe the specific weather-related condition and how it affects safety.
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    Assess severity
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    Select the severity level that best represents the worst credible outcome. The form shows a label and short description for each level. See the Risk Assessment Matrix for full definitions.
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    Assess the worst credible outcome, not the worst conceivable or most likely outcome. The worst credible outcome is the most severe consequence that could reasonably occur, given the nature of the hazard and your operating environment.
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    Assess likelihood
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    Select the likelihood level. The form shows a label and short description for each level. See the Risk Assessment Matrix for full definitions.
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    After selecting both severity and likelihood, the form displays the resulting risk rating on the 5x5 matrix. The cell is highlighted to show you the risk zone (green, yellow, or red).
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    Document existing controls
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    Before adding new controls, document what controls already exist for this hazard. Existing controls are the safeguards, procedures, or equipment currently in place.
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  • In the Existing Controls section, list the controls already mitigating this risk. For example:
    • “Pilots check weather forecasts for icing conditions during pre-flight planning”
    • “Aircraft equipped with de-icing boots (when functional)”
    • “Company SOP requires diversion when icing exceeds aircraft certification”
  • Evaluate whether existing controls are sufficient. If the risk rating is in the green zone, existing controls may be adequate. If the risk is yellow or red, you need additional controls.
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    Add new risk controls (if needed)
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    If the risk is in the yellow (Tolerable) or red (Unacceptable) zone, you must develop additional controls to reduce the risk.
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  • Click Add Control.
  • For each new control, provide:
    • Control description: What is the control? Be specific. Example: “Implement mandatory pre-flight icing risk briefing using company icing decision matrix.”
    • Control type: Classify the control:
      • Engineering — physical or system changes (e.g., equipment upgrades)
      • Administrative — procedures, training, or policies (e.g., new SOP)
      • Personal Protective — protective equipment or individual measures
  • Add as many controls as needed to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.
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    The goal is to reduce risk to ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable). This means implementing every control that is reasonable given your resources, operational constraints, and the severity of the risk. You must be able to justify why any remaining risk is acceptable.
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    Assess the residual risk
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    After adding controls, reassess the risk with the controls in place:
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  • Consider how the new controls change the severity and/or likelihood
  • Note the new risk level — this is the residual risk after controls are applied
  • The residual risk should be in the green (Acceptable) zone, or in the yellow (Tolerable) zone with documented justification for why further reduction is not practicable
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    Submit the risk assessment
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    Review all sections of the form:
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  • Source and trigger
  • Hazard description and category
  • Severity and likelihood ratings
  • Existing controls
  • New controls (if applicable)
  • Residual risk level
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    When everything is complete, click Save to create the risk assessment.
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    The risk assessment is now stored in your SMS records and visible on the Hazards list and the Risk Matrix view.

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    Viewing your risk assessments

    After creating a risk assessment, you can find it in two places: Hazards list: Navigate to Hazards in the sidebar to see all risk assessments in a table view. You can filter by category, risk level, and status. Risk Matrix view: Navigate to Hazards > Risk Matrix to see all assessed risks plotted on the 5x5 matrix. This view gives you an at-a-glance picture of your organization’s risk landscape — where risks are concentrated and whether they are trending toward acceptable levels.

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    Risk assessment records

    Per 14 CFR 5.97, risk assessment outputs must be maintained as long as the risk control remains relevant. PlaneConnection stores all risk assessments with full history, including:
    • The original hazard description
    • All severity and likelihood ratings (initial and residual)
    • All controls documented
    • The date of assessment and the person who performed it
    • Any linked reports, investigations, or CPAs
    These records are available for FAA surveillance and audit purposes.

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    Next steps

    The Risk Matrix

    See the full reference for the 5x5 risk matrix, including all risk zone definitions.

    Understanding Risk Management

    Learn the theory behind Safety Risk Management and how it fits into your SMS.
    Last modified on April 11, 2026