What does it mean to be accountable in risk management?

• A. Accountability for the outcome
• B. The authority to change procedures
• C. The ability to fly more hours
• D. The duty to file all paperwork

Answer: (A)

Accountability in risk management means being answerable for the results of risk decisions and the actions taken to mitigate risk. It involves owning both the outcomes and the reasoning behind choices, clearly documenting why decisions were made, and being prepared to explain and justify them. This also includes taking corrective action when risk controls fail and using lessons learned to improve future practice. In aviation safety, accountability creates a clear line of responsibility so that leaders and teams can be held to the results of their risk management actions, ensuring transparency and continuous improvement.

The option about having the authority to change procedures is about who can modify processes, not who is answerable for the outcomes. The ability to fly more hours is not related to responsibility for risk decisions. The duty to file paperwork relates to compliance tasks, not owning the consequences of risk management decisions.