Strategic conflict avoidance maneuvers were examined using twelve Certified Flight Instructors who flew a cross-country flight in a high fidelity flight simulator with an outside view and a Cockpit Display of Traffic Information in order to assess their baseline maneuver tendencies. Traffic aircraft approaching from various azimuths and altitudes were periodically presented on a trajectory, which posed a collision threat to the pilots aircraft if a maneuver was not initiated. Maneuver choices were classified by the axis (vertical, lateral, airspeed) and direction within the axis and were analyzed in terms of their safety, operationally defined as the time spent with a predicted loss of separation. Decision analysis revealed a strong tendency to use single-axis maneuvers, to prefer vertical over lateral maneuvers, to climb, rather than descend, and to avoid airspeed maneuvers. Vertical maneuvers were less safe than lateral and airspeed maneuvers and tended to be opposite the vertical direction of the traffic. Lateral maneuvers tended to be opposite the horizontal direction of the traffic. The azimuth of the approaching traffic modulated both vertical and lateral maneuvers. Also, an implicit measure of the workload associated with using a CDTI was collected revealing a substantial proportion of time spent head down, and a 30% miss rate for calling out traffic which was not rendered on the CDTI. The maneuver choices are interpreted using an expected value model, and the influence that data driven conflict geometry has on maneuver selection is contrasted with the influence of top down biases or stereotypes based on previous experience or training, and of effort factors related to maneuver efficiency and complexity. The latter were found to exert a dominant influence.


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    Title :

    Pilot Maneuver Choice and Safety in a Simulated Free Flight Scenario


    Contributors:
    J. Helleberg (author) / C. D. Wickens (author) / X. Xu (author)

    Publication date :

    2000


    Size :

    57 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




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