Monitoring and evaluating failure-sensitive strategies in air traffic control simulator training

Abstract

The introduction of new air traffic management systems changes the demands on the provision of Air Traffic Control (ATC) services. At the core of the system air traffic controllers are responsible for the safe, expeditious and orderly flow of the air traffic. The growth of air traffic requires an increase in the capacity of the airspace, controller tools, and operating procedures. In the case of modern ATC operations, we are dealing with a complex; information rich and dynamic environments that require air traffic controllers to attend to multiple events anticipate aircraft conflicts, implement new concepts and make sense of evolving scenarios. Major system wide interventions; the Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research (SESAR) and Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) present significant changes to the delegation of authority between pilots and controllers, which requires further research on how controllers employ failure sensitive strategies in complex scenarios. Failure sensitive strategies in the context of Cognitive Systems Engineering refer to higher level strategies related to macrocognitive processes (e.g., problem solving), which are supported by the same automation functions as normal operations. High-level strategies are essential in keeping the system safe, and include strategies that forestall possibilities for failure. Normal day-today operations require conflict resolution strategies and abnormal situations call for high-level strategies. Studying how controllers employ failure sensitive strategies to cope with traffic complexity is very important if we are to understand how modern information technology and new operational demands may affect system performance. To this end, an observational field study was performed during the annual refresher training of Air Traffic Controllers in a medium complexity European airport with seasonal traffic. This was later complemented with a follow up small scale trail on simulator training to corroborate initial findings. The purpose of the study was to explore the capabilities of existing simulator based training in monitoring and evaluating failure-sensitive strategies in normal operations where new concepts are employed. Initial results indicated that current simulators can be a useful tool in monitoring and evaluating failure sensitive strategies without substantial alterations of their characteristics and in line with training curricula. In a first level and using cognitive task analysis failure sensitive strategies were elicited and documented. In a second level, a set of user centred requirements was compiled towards the development of a low cost debriefing tool based on existing simulators and training practices. In a third and final level a complexity metrics was developed in order to define thresholds of cognitive complexity that prevent controllers from full implementation of new concepts on day to day operations. Practical benefits can be derived especially in the areas of decision support systems, safety management systems (e.g. supporting safety assessments of new concepts) and training in the context of SESAR and NextGen.