COORDINATION IN THE COCKPIT - A GAME-THEORY VIEW OF STANDARD OPERATION PROCEDURES

Some basic principles of game theory confirm that flying according to standard operating procedures (SOP) leads to greater flight safety. In this article, the interaction in the cockpit is analyzed as a game wh ose goal is flight safety. The crew members are involved in interactio ns that determine the extent of their utility. It is demonstrated that adhering to SOP leads to maximum utility and, thus, to greater flight safety than deviating from it, even if an alternative procedure is eq uivalent as far as safety is concerned or seems to lead to greater uti lity.