AeroTELEGRAPH has outlined FORDEC, the six-step cockpit decision model developed through cooperation between the German Aerospace Center and Lufthansa’s Crew Resource Management team in the early 1990s. The framework is designed to help pilots make clear, robust decisions under pressure by working through facts, options, risks and benefits, decision, execution and check.
The method is intended to reduce impulsive reactions and overlooked details in high-stress situations. It is used as a complement to cockpit procedures such as checklists, not as a replacement for them.
The explainer presents FORDEC as a structured way to manage crisis decisions in aviation and beyond. Its practical value extends to non-pilots facing difficult choices in everyday life, giving the model relevance as a leadership and crisis-management tool rather than as a response to a specific operational event.