Civil Aviation Aircrew Performance Enhancement and Error Reduction

Abstract : During the next decade FAA plans to conduct, with substantial support from NASA, DOD, industry and the universities, a comprehensive human factors program which will address the causes and impact of human error on aircraft and ATC system operation, and establish criteria and guidelines for future automated system designs which will minimize the occurrence and impact of human error. The program will reexamine the allocation of separation assurance and spacing functions between the cockpit crew and the controller, and between the automated systems (both in the aircraft and in the ground ATC system) and the human operators (controllers and pilots.) Since the human operator problems and human involvement in system design and operation are the major thrust of this activity, we have established the program to assure that all elements of the aviation community have a voice in determining our program. Perhaps most important to the activities of this group is the examination of the programs underway to assess the impact of workload on the total system operation and effectiveness.