United States Department of Transportation
i
The Effect of Instrument Approach Procedure Chart Design on Pilot Search Speed and Response Accuracy - Flight Test Results
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1995-06-01
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[PDF-4.98 MB]
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Edition:Final Report January 1994 - December 1994
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Abstract:Instrument approach procedure (IAP) charts can be densely packed with information. This high information density can
make information difficult to find, particularly in a poorly lit cockpit during turbulence. The Voipe Center's Cockpit
Hunan Factors Program conducted a series of evaluations to format IAP chart information to more closely conform to the
way pilots actually use the information. All of this work has contributed to the evolution of the Voipe prototype IAP
chart format. The prototype's major design features are the briefing strip and iconic missed approach procedure
instructions. The briefing strip consists of three rows of tabularized information at the top of the chart. This feature
is designed primarily for use in preparing for the approach. Each Information element is given in the order in which it
will be used. The pilot no longer has to search through the entire chart to assemble this data. In the profile view, the
"up and out" portion of the missed approach instructions is depicted in icons rather than text. This critical
information is more easily located than if it were embedded in text. The objective of this study was to determine if the
prototype IAP chart format would allow pilots to find information faster and more accurately during actual flight. Ten
licensed pilots rated for instrument flight participated as subjects in this experiment. Each of the approaches were
depicted in two chart formats: National Ocean Service (NOS) and the Voipe prototype.
Pilots took advantage of the prototype's briefing strip to search for information to answer questions. They found
Information faster on the prototype chart than on the NOS chart. No difference was found between the accuracy of the
answers given when pilots used the prototype and when they used the H0S format. Pilots found information regarding the
"up and out" portion of the missed approach instructions faster when they used the iconic missed approach instructions
on the prototype chart than when they used text instructions on the H0S chart. All pilots preferred the prototype format
for executing the missed approach because of the iconic instructions. Most pilots preferred the prototype format for
studying for the approach. None of the pilots preferred the NOS format for executing any approach phase.
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