Case-based training has become widely used in domains such as medicine and the law. This study investigated the effects of case-based training on decision making in a simulated flight. Participants were given a short case-based training course on visual flight rules (VFR) flight. All participants received a written summary of the legal requirements for VFR as well as a short video. Half the participants read cases where the aircraft encountered deteriorating weather and crashed, whereas the other half read cases where the pilot successfully dealt with the conditions and landed safely. Following each case, half the participants engaged in a reflective thinking exercise and half simply recalled the details of the case. The results showed that participants who engaged in case-based reflection made more appropriate and timely decisions in a simulated flight involving deteriorating weather than participants who simply recalled the material. The outcome of the cases had no effect on performance in the simulation. Implications for flight training are discussed.

OBJECTIVES:This study provides the first descriptive overview of fatal and non-fatal injury associated with white water and other recreational river rafting in New Zealand. The current study sought to identify the nature and causes of hospitalisable injuries and to identify the causes of fatal injuries to white water rafters.DESIGN:The data were obtained from the New Zealand Health Information Service (NZHIS) mortality and morbidity files. Mortality data for the period from 1983 to 1995 and morbidity data from 1983-1996 were used.PARTICIPANTS:Members of the public who took part in white water and other recreational river rafting activities throughout the above periods.RESULTS:Of the 33 fatalities, over 80% were male. Almost all the fatalities involved drowning, more than a third resulting from the raft capsizing. Nearly half of the 215 hospitalisations resulted from fractures, victims spending an average of 3.3 days in hospital. The effects of submersion, and intracranial injuries were the next most common categories.CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS:In relation to fatalities, the potentially modifiable risk factors involve improved resistance to raft capsizing, and equipment and skills required to stay afloat. In relation to injuries, the potentially modifiable risk factors relate mainly to preventing slipping and falling through the design of footwear, protective equipment, and procedures for entry and egress.