Abstract: In order to examine the composition of airline pilots' psychology of risk and its impacts on flight operation, a method of mental measurement and cluster classification was proposed from three dimensions including risk tolerance, attitude towards risks and risk perception. Based on FOQA standard and flight data, the flight operation evaluation index system and model were developed, which integrated feature parameters of different phases-take off, initial climb, approach and landing. The psychological perception of 27 pilots was clustered into three grades: low, medium and high. Then, QAR data of 50 random flights performed by pilots in each grade were collected and analyzed by using the flight operation evaluation model. The results indicate that airline pilots' psychology of risk is correlated with their operation proficiency. Those with low grade psychology of risk possess relatively high operation skills while the flight operation skill of high grade pilots is the worst, and it is concluded that the lower grade the psychology of risk is, the better the flight operation skill will be.

Key words: flight operations quality assurance (FOQA), quick access recorder (QAR), risk tolerance, attitude towards risks, flight operation level