Air Traffic Controller Performance and Workload Under Mature Free Flight: Conflict Detection and Resolution of Aircraft Self-Separation

Galster, Scott M.; Duley, Jacqueline A.; Masalonis, Anthony J.; Parasuraman, Raja

doi:10.1207/s15327108ijap1101_5

Cited by 70 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The finding that conflict detection performance was compromised under high traffic density is consistent with the results of a previous study we have carried out (Galster et al, 2001). In addition, subjective and objective measures indicated an increase in mental workload under high compared to moderate traffic.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…This is quite remarkable since high traffic and passive monitoring represent the conditions originally proposed by the RTCA (1995) in their vision of FF. In order to accommodate more aircraft, airspace under FF will be denser and aircraft separation will be tighter leaving less time for ATCos to recover from emergency situations or to back-up airborne separation in case it fails (Galster et al, 2001). However, the present results showed that ATCos need more time to detect conflicts under these conditions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Role of the Air Traffic Controller in Future Air Traffic Management: An Empirical Study of Active Control versus Passive Monitoring

2001

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Proposals for air traffic management such as Free Flight call for a transfer of responsibility for separation between aircraft from air traffic controllers (ATCos) to pilots. Under many proposals, the role of the ATCo will change from one of active control to passive monitoring. The present study directly compared these types of control with respect to ATCo mental workload, conflict detection, and memory. Eighteen ATCos participated in an air traffic control simulation of Free Flight procedures under moderate and high traffic load. Dependent variables included accuracy and timeliness in detecting potential conflicts, accepting and handing off aircraft, mental workload (as assessed by a secondary task, heart rate variability, and subjective ratings), and memory for aircraft location. High traffic density and passive control both degraded conflict detection performance. Actual or potential applications of this research include the recommendation that designs for future air traffic management keep authority for separation of aircraft with the controller.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of the Air Traffic Controller in Future Air Traffic Management: An Empirical Study of Active Control versus Passive Monitoring

2001

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“…Each simulation session lasted for 90 minutes and consisted of three, 20 minute [15] periods of stable task demand which alternated between high and low traffic levels, interspersed with a total of three, 10 minute transition phases. Task demand was created by the number of aircraft under control [16] as well as the ratio of arrival aircraft and overflights.…”

Section: Airspace and Task Demand Scenariosmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship Between Workload and Performance in Air Traffic Control: Exploring the Influence of Levels of Automation and Variation in Task Demand

Edwards

Martin

Bienert

et al. 2017

Communications in Computer and Information Science

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Abstract.In an air traffic environment, task demand is dynamic. However, previous research has largely considered the association of task demand and controller performance using conditions of stable task demand. Further, there is a comparatively restricted understanding of the influence of task demand transitions on workload and performance in association with different types and levels of automation that are available to controllers. This study used an air traffic control simulation to investigate the influence of task demand transitions, and two conditions of automation, on workload and efficiency-related performance. Findings showed that both the direction of the task demand variation and the amount of automation influenced the relationship between workload and performance. Findings are discussed in relation to capacity and arousal theories. Further research is needed to enhance understanding of demand transition and workload history effects on operator experience and performance, in both air traffic control and other safety-critical domains.

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“…As illustration, Endsley and Rodgers [13] found that ATCos showed poor performance in detecting conflicts in recorded traffic when they were passively monitoring the traffic. Galster et al [14] found that passive monitoring with airborne control of aircraft separation, which would be the case under mature Free Flight, led to a marked decrease in conflict detection performance by ATCos under high traffic load.…”

Section: Failure To Detect (Level 1)mentioning

confidence: 99%

MINIMA Project: Detecting and Mitigating the Negative Impact of Automation

Berberian

Ohneiser

Crescenzio

et al. 2017

Engineering Psychology and Cognitive Ergonomics: Performance, Emotion and Situation Awareness

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Air Traffic Controller Performance and Workload Under Mature Free Flight: Conflict Detection and Resolution of Aircraft Self-Separation

Cited by 70 publications

References 11 publications

The Role of the Air Traffic Controller in Future Air Traffic Management: An Empirical Study of Active Control versus Passive Monitoring

The Role of the Air Traffic Controller in Future Air Traffic Management: An Empirical Study of Active Control versus Passive Monitoring

The Relationship Between Workload and Performance in Air Traffic Control: Exploring the Influence of Levels of Automation and Variation in Task Demand

MINIMA Project: Detecting and Mitigating the Negative Impact of Automation

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