Cognitive and operational implications of non-homogeneous aircraft equipage for aviation system transformation

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, September 2007.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Pina, Patricia E. (Patricia Elena)
Other Authors: R. John Hausman.
Format: Thesis
Language:eng
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42198
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author Pina, Patricia E. (Patricia Elena)
author2 R. John Hausman.
author_facet R. John Hausman.
Pina, Patricia E. (Patricia Elena)
author_sort Pina, Patricia E. (Patricia Elena)
collection MIT
description Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, September 2007.
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spelling mit-1721.1/421982019-04-11T11:29:00Z Cognitive and operational implications of non-homogeneous aircraft equipage for aviation system transformation Pina, Patricia E. (Patricia Elena) R. John Hausman. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Aeronautics and Astronautics. Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, September 2007. "August 2007." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-87). The air traffic management system is currently experiencing a significant transformation to provide better quality service and to match the increasing air traffic demand. This transformation requires airlines to retrofit their fleet. However, airlines implement new operating capabilities at different rates resulting in long transition periods in which aircraft with different equipage levels coexist in the same airspace. Mixed equipage environments can increase controller workload and task complexity, limit the operational benefits of new operating capabilities, and deteriorate the overall system performance. This study proposes a three dimensional approach to explore mixed equipage effects: (1) understand cognitive implications for controllers, (2) understand operational implications for users, and (3) understand system level implications. To further investigate mixed equipage effects and to illustrate the proposed approach, this study analyzed the implementation of reduced separation standards in the North Atlantic. An experimental analysis was conducted to study the integration of mixed separation standards. Results show significant human factor concerns. Controllers had higher error rates at very low mixed equipage levels. Results also suggest that a contributing causal factor may have been that participants employed inadequate system abstractions based on their current mental models. Airspace segregation based on equipage levels is recommended in the North Atlantic to alleviate controller cognitive limitations and ensure incentives for equipped aircraft. Segregation can facilitate the transition to reduced separation standards. (cont.) A preliminary estimation of the operational benefits that segregation could offer to equipped aircraft in the North Atlantic was performed. We developed a simplified model of the jet stream and its operational cost impact and contrasted the results with a statistical analysis of actual North Atlantic flight times. It was found that the model made optimistic predictions of flight time reduction. Based on the statistical analysis, the incentive for equipped aircraft in a segregated environment in the North Atlantic was estimated by a gain of 4 minutes. This figure is a preliminary estimation and further analysis with larger data samples is required to validate it. by Patricia E. Pina. S.M. 2008-09-03T14:52:10Z 2008-09-03T14:52:10Z 2007 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42198 230816504 eng M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 92 leaves application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Pina, Patricia E. (Patricia Elena)
Cognitive and operational implications of non-homogeneous aircraft equipage for aviation system transformation
title Cognitive and operational implications of non-homogeneous aircraft equipage for aviation system transformation
title_full Cognitive and operational implications of non-homogeneous aircraft equipage for aviation system transformation
title_fullStr Cognitive and operational implications of non-homogeneous aircraft equipage for aviation system transformation
title_full_unstemmed Cognitive and operational implications of non-homogeneous aircraft equipage for aviation system transformation
title_short Cognitive and operational implications of non-homogeneous aircraft equipage for aviation system transformation
title_sort cognitive and operational implications of non homogeneous aircraft equipage for aviation system transformation
topic Aeronautics and Astronautics.
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42198
work_keys_str_mv AT pinapatriciaepatriciaelena cognitiveandoperationalimplicationsofnonhomogeneousaircraftequipageforaviationsystemtransformation