Details:

Creators:
Nadler, Eric ; Yost, A. ; Kendra, A. J.
Nadler, Eric ; Yost, A. ; Kendra, A. J. Less -
Corporate Creators:
John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)
Subject/TRT Terms:
[+]
ADS-B Displays Air Traffic Control Applied Psychology CDTI Displays Human Factors Information Display Systems Navigation Displays Psychology
Publication/ Report Number:
DOT/FAA/AM-07/30
Resource Type:
Research Paper
Corporate Publisher:
United States. Office of Aerospace Medicine
Abstract:
A flight experiment was conducted to assess human factors issues associated with pilot use of traffic displays for approach

spacing. Sixteen multi-engine rated pilots participated. Eight flew approaches in a twin-engine Piper Aztec originating in

Sanford, ME, and eight flew approaches in the same aircraft originating in Atlantic City, NJ. The spacing target was a

Cessna 206. The traffic display was either a Garmin International MX-20™ (the “Basic” Cockpit Display of Traffic

Information, or CDTI) or an MX-20™ modified with features to help the pilot monitor the closing rate, the range and

ground speed of the traffic-to-follow, and ownship ground speed (Range Monitor). Two other Equipment conditions were

Baseline and Autopilot. Pilots successfully used the displays to maintain the assigned spacing on visual and instrument

approaches. The spacing deviations were significantly lower when using the displays during visual approaches than when

attempting to maintain spacing without a traffic display. The mean spacing deviation during the IFR approaches was less

than 0.10 NM for all three equipment conditions (Basic CDTI, Range Monitor, Autopilot), and these mean spacing

deviations did not differ significantly. Range Monitor features appeared to particularly benefit the low-hour pilots. While

the traffic display reduced visual reacquisition times, this effect was only found with pilots whose displays showed additional

traffic (not only the traffic-to-follow). In general, however, the additional traffic was associated with less time between

fixations on the display and higher workload. Subjects appeared to have had difficulty identifying an optimal display range

that would simultaneously provide traffic awareness and spacing task performance. The traffic display necessarily requires

visual attention and reduces the attention available for scanning the instrument panel and on visual approaches, the outside

world. For this reason, even if pilots assume responsibility for spacing when they temporarily lose visual contact with the

assigned traffic-to-follow, they should notify ATC of the loss of visual contact so that controllers can assume responsibility

for separation from other aircraft.


Format:
PDF
Collection(s):
Volpe FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:0faea9ea6d2277268aa7632f130bc7961a9ed882bc1e3b4e3a023352998ad615
Download URL:
https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/9018/dot_9018_DS1.pdf
File Type:

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