Validation of a new method for designing air traffic control alarms

Abstract: Alarms, alerts, and warnings are critical to maintaining safety in the National Airspace System and should be designed to support aircraft separation as well as supplementary tasks such as weather avoidance. The purpose of this study is to validate a novel alarm design framework by asking air traffic controllers to evaluate an existing alarm. Methods: We invited four air traffic controllers to participate in a structured interview that is part of a novel Signal Design Framework. Controllers were asked a series of scripted questions about 15 specific alarm properties. They were then asked to choose the three properties most important to the design of the conflict alert. Lastly, controllers were asked a series of questions about the overall quality of the taxonomy and its potential for impacting aviation safety. Results: All participants agreed that the taxonomy captured all the important characteristics of an alarm and that no gaps or failures existed in the alarm framework. They also agreed that the framework was easy to understand, that the structured interview was easy to understand, and that applying the framework to alarm design and revision would improve alarm ease of use, reduce confusion, and improve overall safety. Conclusions: The structured interview encouraged controllers to think about the Conflict Alert and helped them to develop novel solutions that could potentially improve this alarm in the Air Traffic Control environment.</p

In-flight medical emergencies: time for a registry?

When a passenger becomes sick while flying on board a commercial airline flight, the cabin crew commonly solicit the assistance of a volunteer physician. Although in-flight medical emergencies take place every day, little is known about the epidemiology of these events. A new study by Sand and colleagues sheds light on the incidence of specific illnesses that occurred on board commercial flights

Threat and error management for anesthesiologists: a predictive risk taxonomy

Patient care in the operating room is a dynamic interaction that requires cooperation among team members and reliance upon sophisticated technology. Most human factors research in medicine has been focused on analyzing errors and implementing system-wide changes to prevent them from recurring. We describe a set of techniques that has been used successfully by the aviation industry to analyze errors and adverse events and explain how these techniques can be applied to patient care

A Handbook for Signal Design: Alarms, Alerts, and Warnings in Air Traffic Control

692M151940006This is the preliminary draft of a signal design handbook and is the deliverable for the third year of a five-year project. This interim version is for informational purposes only. The guidance contained in this handbook will be validated during the next two phases of the project and may be changed during the validation studies. Only the final version of the handbook should therefore be used to guide signal design.The Federal Aviation Administration\u2019s air traffic control organization (ATO) encompasses a variety of facilities that include towers, terminal radar approach control facilities (TRACONs), and air route traffic control centers (ARTCCs). Well trained air traffic controllers using effective automation can exploit alarms, alerts and warnings (collectively, signals) to build situation awareness and to reduce cognitive workload. We have written the first version of a handbook that will guide air traffic system designers and controller user teams as they collaborate with human factors experts to create or modify air traffic control system alarms, alerts, and warnings. The handbook describes a novel signal framework that can be used to evaluate an existing ATC signal or design a new signal using an objective scoring sheet and a structured interview format with subject matter experts (i.e., air traffic controllers) during the design process

Point-to-point suborbital space tourism motivation and willingness to fly

Suborbital space tourism is a catalyst for space industry revenue that could reach $1.1 billion by 2032. This study evaluated the influence of the four dimensions of Iso-Ahola's (1982) theory of tourism motivation on willingness to fly as a point-to-point suborbital space tourist. 870 participants responded to an online survey. The survey results were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The tourism dimensions of interpersonal seeking and personal seeking had the greatest influence on willingness to fly. The model explains 40% of the variance in willingness to fly. The results provide validated data for targeted marketing to potential point-to-point space tourists. The results of this study are a catalyst for future space tourism research

A qualitative analysis of social and emotional perspectives of airline passengers during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundFear of illness, economic damage, and stigma have had a devastating impact on the travel industry and have caused a significant reduction in both business and leisure travel. This study examines passengers\u27 social and emotional perspectives during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, building on a prior quantitative study that identified factors that predict a person\u27s willingness to fly during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis study used a qualitative method with a phenomenological perspective and hermeneutic design. Fifteen adults from the United States participated in a personal interview designed to capture demographics, individual safety measures, feelings, and concerns involving air travel during the pandemic. Personal interview transcripts were then inspected by the researchers using a constant comparison method.ResultsThe personal experiences of participants were dominated by projections of trust issues and emotional heuristics, protective behaviors, and fear of confrontations with others, and a fear of the unknown. These themes emerged even in participants who continued to fly during the pandemic.ConclusionInsights into travelers’ emotions, trust, and fears may help airlines and other segments of the travel industry to develop targeted messaging that supports the trust and safety issues confronted by frequent travelers

A qualitative analysis of social and emotional perspectives of airline passengers during the COVID-19 pandemic

This paper investigated how willing participants were to fly during COVID-19, and found that their major concerns involved fear and trust issues with airlines, information, and other people