Program
Amy Pritchett, George Tech
Modeling the Pilot's Interaction with TCAS as an Expert Fallible Machine
Abstract
Traffic events involving potential loss of aircraft separation are often modeled in terms of the inputs to, and output of, the pilot, including compliance to Resolution Advisories (RAs -- commanded maneuvers) as issued by the Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) -- or these events are formally modeled assuming that the pilot complies to each RA. This presentation will instead step back and examine the range of inputs to the pilot around the time of the traffic event and how they will be dynamically interpreted in the light of the expert pilot's knowledge such that the relative timing and ordering of these inputs can also shape the pilot's response. As a notional construct, the presentation applies Reason’s notion of the human as a ‘fallible machine,’ informed not only by current inputs but also an extensive knowledge base. This approach can describe how pilot experience, and temporal ordering of inputs and actions throughout a traffic event, can shape pilot behavior both in terms of complying to TCAS Resolution Advisories (RAs) and in terms of interactions with the broader air traffic environment. Results from recent human-in-the-loop flight simulator studies will be presented to highlight which effects must be incorporated into formal verification and modeling efforts.
Bio
Amy Pritchett is currently the David S. Lewis Associate Professor in the School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech, with a courtesy appointment also in the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering. She has also served as Director of NASA’s Aviation Safety Program. Dr. Pritchett received bachelor’s, master’s, and Sc.D. degrees in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT in 1992, 1994, and 1997, respectively. Her research focus is on the design of safe complex systems, particularly towards the design for effective human performance. Her awards include the Radio Technical Commission for Aviation’s William H. Jackson Award and, as part of Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST), the Collier Trophy, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Aviation has named a scholarship for her. Professor Pritchett is the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making. She is a member of the FAA Research, Engineering and Development Advisory Committee (REDAC) and chairs the Human Factors REDAC subcommittee.