What is a NITS Briefing

The NITS briefing is a simple mnemonic to guide the person using it through a briefing format whilst in a high stress situation.  It has to be simple and unemotional.  Too much information or complicated jargon will stop the importance of the message and take too much time.  It normally starts with the captain briefing the passengers or the cabin crew if there is one.  NITS stands for:

Nature:  What is the nature of the emergency?  In a few words what has happened?  For example, “The left engine is on fire and has been shut down”

Intention:  What is the intention of the captain?  This will tell the rest of the crew what checklist of their own they may need to follow.  For example, “We are going to make an emergency landing at the closest airport”

Time:  How much time is available to prepare for the emergency landing?  For example, “We should be on the ground in 12 minute, so have everything prepared in 10 minutes”

Special Instructions: Is there anything else the person receiving the brief needs to know about the situation that will help them and possibly save lives?  For example, “The left engine is still on fire so evacuate the aircraft through the right exit only.  Emergency services are waiting for us”

To ensure that the NITS briefing has been fully understood, then the person receiving the brief should repeat the brief back. For example “OK Captain, the left engine is on fire and has been shutdown and we are going to make an emergency landing. Aircraft to be ready in 10 minutes for an evacuation through the right hand exit only and emergency services are waiting."  If the captain heard everything read back correctly, then he can ask the person to carry on with their preparation.  If not, he does the NITS again.

Once the captain has briefed one crew member or passenger, then the information can be passed on to other crew members or passengers quickly.  Everyone should then be aware of what is going on, and what is going to happen.