| Flight Attendant Fatigue. Part 5: A Comparative Study of International Flight Attendant Fatigue Regulations and Collective Bargaining Agreements |
Nov-2009 |
19 pages |
| Authors:
Joy O Banks; Katrina E Avers; Thomas E Nesthus; Erica L Hauck; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
 | In 2008, Congress directed the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) to conduct follow-on studies of six recommendation areas noted in an integrated report by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and CAMI regarding flight attendant fatigue. The report concluded that some degree of fatigue-related performance affects were likely under current prescriptive rules. Internationally, fatigue risk is managed almost solely through prescriptive rules based on the maximum hours of work ... |
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| Flight Attendant Fatigue. Part 6: Fatigue Countermeasure Training and Potential Benefits |
Oct-2009 |
17 pages |
| Authors:
Katrina E Avers; Thomas E Nesthus; Erica L Hauck; Lauren V Blackwell; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| Today's aviation industry is a 24/7 operation that produces a variety of challenges for cabin crew members, including extended duty periods, highly variable schedules, and frequent time zone changes. While these operational requirements may be necessary, they are far from ideal with respect to the human body's biological rhythms for managing sleep and alertness. In fact, acute sleep loss, sustained periods of wakefulness, and circadian factors resulting from this form ... |
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| An Analysis of the U.S. Pilot Population From 1983-2005: Evaluating the Effects of Regulatory Change |
May-2009 |
25 pages |
| Authors:
Paul B Rogers; Stephen J Veronneau; Connie L Peterman; James E Whinnery; Estrella M Forster; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| The size of the U.S. civil aviator community has been of interest to researchers, policy makers, and special interest groups. A strict definition for membership in the U.S. pilot population was used that was based on Scientific Information System principles. This approach provides methods for scientists to describe, quantify, and predict changes in this population over the 23-year study period. The Bioinformatics Research Team at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute ... |
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| The Outcome of ATC Message Length and Complexity on En Route Pilot Readback Performance |
Jan-2009 |
43 pages |
| Authors:
O V Prinzo; A M Hendrix; R Hendrix; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| Field data and laboratory studies conducted in the 1990s reported the rate of pilot readback errors and communication problems increased as controller transmissions became more complex. This resulted in the recommendation that controllers send shorter messages to reduce the memory load imposed on pilots by complex messages. More than 10 yrs have passed since a comprehensive analysis quantified the types and frequency of readback errors and communication problems that occurred ... |
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| Pilot English Language Proficiency and the Prevalence of Communication Problems at Five U.S. Air Route Traffic Control Centers |
01-Oct-2008 |
37 pages |
| Authors:
Ruby Hendrix; O V Prinzo; Alfred M Hendrix; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| Air traffic control (ATC) voice communication is built upon a readback-hearback loop: Controllers send messages to pilots who listen and then recite back their contents. Successful communication requires participants to conduct and understand ATC radiotelephony in the same language. Since inadequate language proficiency was involved in some aviation accidents, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is requiring its contracting states to ensure that ATC personnel and flight crews are proficient ... |
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| Analyzing Vehicle Operator Deviations |
01-Jul-2008 |
44 pages |
| Authors:
Julia Pounds; Larry Bailey; Alfretia Scarborough; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| Runway incursions (RIs) are one of the top safety issues for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Considerable effort has gone into understanding how pilot deviations and air traffic control (ATC) operational errors contribute to RIs. In contrast, little is known about human factors issues related to vehicle operator deviations (VODs). VODs occur when a vehicle enters the airport movement area without ATC approval. We developed a VOD prediction model to ... |
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| Development of an Aeromedical Scientific Information System for Aviation Safety |
JAN 2008 |
24 pages |
| Authors:
Connie L. Peterman; Paul B. Rogers; Stephen J. Veronneau; James E. Whinnery; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| Introduction. The Bioinformatics Research Team at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) uses data analysis techniques to study issues associated with medical certification decisions and their effects on the U.S. pilot population to ensure safety of flight. We developed a Scientific Information System to assist in research efforts associated with statistical and epidemiological studies of the U.S. civil pilot population. Significant data challenges exist relative to the integration and analysis ... |
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| An International Survey of Maintenance Human Factors Programs |
SEP 2007 |
32 pages |
| Authors:
Carla Hackworth; Kali Holcomb; Melanie Dennis; Scott Goldman; Cristina Bates; David Schroeder; William Johnson; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| There are many international approaches to the regulation of human factors programs for aviation maintenance organizations. Transport Canada and the European Aviation Safety Agency have established specific regulations regarding maintenance human factors. The Federal Aviation Administration has not yet established regulations but, instead, has created guidance documents and developed voluntary reporting programs for maintenance organizations. The purpose of this study was to assess the status of human factors programs in ... |
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| Flight Attendant Fatigue |
JUL 2007 |
70 pages |
| Authors:
Thomas E. Nesthus; David J. Schroeder; Mary M. Connors; Heike K. Rentmeister-Bryant; Charles A. DeRoshia; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| The Departments of Transportation and Treasury and Independent Agencies Appropriations Bill (House Rpt. 108-671) included a directive to the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct a study of flight attendant fatigue. The NASA Ames Research Center Fatigue Countermeasures Group (FCG) was contracted by CAMI to conduct the study. To meet the goals of the study, this report contains a literature review on fatigue as potentially experienced by flight attendants, an evaluation ... |
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| Developing the Federal Aviation Administration's Requirements for Color Use in Air Traffic Control Displays |
MAY 2007 |
19 pages |
| Authors:
Jing Xing; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| This report describes the materials we developed for the Federal Aviation Administration's requirements for color use in Air Traffic Control (ATC) displays. While many color use guidelines and the Federal Aviation Administration's Human Factors Design Standard (HF-STD-001) provide general information about how to choose color schemes in visual displays, the purpose of this document is for developers of ATC technologies and human factors practitioners to evaluate the use of color ... |
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| Relationship of Complexity Factor Ratings With Operational Errors |
MAY 2007 |
18 pages |
| Authors:
Elaine M. Pfleiderer; Carol A. Manning; Scott M. Goldman; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| This study is an examination of the extent to which objective static sector characteristics and controller ratings of static and dynamic sector complexity factors contributed to the occurrence of operational errors (OEs) at the Indianapolis air route traffic control center (ZID). A multiple regression model of the relationship between a combination of static sector characteristics (sector altitude strata and sector size) resulted in a modest prediction of the variance in ... |
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| An Assessment of Pilot Control Interfaces for Unmanned Aircraft |
APR 2007 |
16 pages |
| Authors:
Kevin W. Williams; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| An inventory of control systems for unmanned aircraft was completed for 15 systems from nine separate manufacturers. To complete the inventory, a taxonomy of control architectures was developed. The taxonomy identified four levels of horizontal aircraft control, four levels of vertical control, and three levels of speed control. The most automated level of control was a waypoint-level that was found to be present in all of the systems inventoried. Implications ... |
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| Voluntary Aviation Safety Information-Sharing Process: Preliminary Audit of Distributed FOQA and ASAP Archives Against Industry Statement of Requirements |
APR 2007 |
14 pages |
| Authors:
Thomas R. Chidester; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| The Voluntary Aviation Safety Information-Sharing Process (VASIP) is designed to provide a means for the commercial aviation industry and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to collect, share safety-related information, and to use that information to proactively identify, analyze, and correct safety issues that affect commercial aviation. The key to VASIP is the development of a technical process to extract de-identified safety data from any participating airline Flight Operations Quality Assurance ... |
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| Comparison of Amplification Methods to Produce Affymetrix GeneChip(Trademark) Target Material |
APR 2007 |
9 pages |
| Authors:
Dennis Burian; Vicky White; Mark Huggins; Doris Kupfer; Dennis V. Canfield; James E. Whinnery; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
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| Whole blood from living subjects is a convenient matrix to use as a source of RNA for microarray experiments with human subjects especially when subject material is collected at a location other than the collaborating site conducting the microarray work. Collection methods for whole blood that include stabilization of the RNA are known but suffer from issues of decreased sensitivity due to the large amount of globin RNA present from ... |
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| Color Analysis in Air Traffic Control Displays, Part II. Auxiliary Displays |
MAR 2007 |
22 pages |
| Authors:
Jing Xing; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| This report presents the second part of our analysis of color use in Air Traffic Control displays. Part I of the study focused on operational displays, while this investigation focuses on auxiliary information displays with which controllers acquire additional information to make decisions. We chose three frequently used decision-support displays for the analysis. Those are: User Request Evaluation Tool (URET), Traffic Management Advisor (TMA), and Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS). ... |
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| Predicting Subjective Workload Ratings: A Comparison and Synthesis of Operational and Theoretical Models |
MAR 2007 |
14 pages |
| Authors:
Jerry Crutchfield; Craig Rosenberg; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| Output from a computer simulation of two air traffic control (ATC) scenarios was fit to workload ratings that ATC subject-matter experts provided while observing each scenario in real time. Simulation output enabled regression analyses that tested the assumptions of a variety of workload prediction models. These included both operational models that use observable situational and behavioral variables (e.g., number of aircraft and communications by type) and theoretical models that use ... |
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| Unmanned Aircraft Pilot Medical Certification Requirements |
FEB 2007 |
14 pages |
| Authors:
Kevin W. Williams; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| This research addressed the medical requirements necessary for unmanned aircraft (UA) pilots for successful flight in the National Airspace System (NAS). Given that an existing medical certification was recommended, the question of which class of certification to propose was based on the perceived level of risk imposed by the potential incapacitation of the UA pilot. A second-class medical certification was judged to be the most acceptable, considering that there were ... |
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| An Analysis of Preflight Weather Briefings |
FEB 2007 |
24 pages |
| Authors:
O. V. Prinzo; Alfred M. Hendrix; Ruby Hendrix; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| Weather is often cited as a factor in general aviation (GA) accidents and mishaps. The type of weather information requested from, or provided by, automated flight service station (AFSS) specialists is dependent on weather conditions at the time the preflight briefing occurs. However, little is known about how this weather information is used by GA pilots. The purpose of this research was to document the types of AFSS weather information ... |
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| Index to FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine Reports: 1961 Through 2006 |
JAN 2007 |
95 pages |
| Authors:
William E. Collins; Michael E. Wayda; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| An index to Federal Aviation Administration Office of Aerospace Medicine Reports (1964-2006) and Civil Aeromedical Institute Reports (1961-1963) is presented for those engaged in aviation medicine and related activities. The index lists all FAA aerospace medicine technical reports published from 1961 through 2006: chronologically, alphabetically by author, and alphabetically by subject. A foreword describes the index's sections and explains how to obtain copies of published Office of Aerospace Medicine technical ... |
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| Relationship of Sector Activity and Sector Complexity to Air Traffic Controller Taskload |
DEC 2006 |
12 pages |
| Authors:
Carol A. Manning; Elaine M. Pfleiderer; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| This study compared the relative effectiveness of two constructs, sector activity and sector complexity, in predicting air traffic controller taskload. Sector activity was defined as the activity associated with aircraft moving through the sector and was measured by counting the number of aircraft under the control of the sector during a traffic sample. Sector complexity describes a set of factors presumed to affect the difficulty experienced by a controller when ... |
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| Comparison of Intent-to-Leave with Actual Turnover within the FAA |
DEC 2006 |
9 pages |
| Authors:
Carolyn S. Dollar; Dana Broach; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| Human capital planning in the federal sector relies upon past losses to estimate future turnover. Since the historical loss rate is a lagging indicator, an alternative estimate of future turnover might be derived from information about employee intent-to-leave. However, results from studies of the relationship between intent-to-leave and actual behavior have been mixed. Given the conflicting research findings, the authors investigated the correspondence between intent-to-leave and actual aggregate turnover rates ... |
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| The Outcome of ATC Message Complexity on Pilot Readback Performance |
NOV 2006 |
36 pages |
| Authors:
O. V. Prinzo; Alfred M. Hendrix; Ruby Hendrix; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| Field data and laboratory studies conducted in the 1990s reported that the rate of pilot readback errors and communication problems increased as controller transmissions became more complex. This resulted in the recommendation that controllers send shorter messages to reduce the memory load imposed on pilots by complex messages. More than 10 years have passed since a comprehensive analysis quantified the types and frequency of readback errors and communication problems that ... |
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| Aircraft Accidents and Incidents Associated with Visual Disturbances from Bright Lights during Nighttime Flight Operations |
NOV 2006 |
9 pages |
| Authors:
Van B. Nakagawara; Ron W. Montgomery; Kathryn J. Wood; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| Preservation of optimal night vision is important for pilots operating an aircraft at night. When the eyes are adapted to low-light levels, exposure to bright light can result in temporary visual impairment due to glare, flashblindness, and afterimages. The purpose of this study was to investigate operational problems experienced by civilian airmen exposed to bright light sources while performing nighttime aviation activities. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Aviation Accident ... |
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| Validation for CFD Prediction of Mass Transport in an Aircraft Passenger Cabin |
NOV 2006 |
55 pages |
| Authors:
A. J. Baker; S. C. Ericson; J. A. Orzechowski; K.L. Wong; R. P. Garner; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| A joint project was established to validate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) as a quantitative methodology for prediction of the distribution of pathogens released into the environmental control system (ECS)-generated ventilation flow field of an aircraft passenger cabin. Acquisition of the requisite experimental databases for three-dimensional velocity and gaseous contaminant distributions was accomplished in the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute's (CAMI's) Aircraft Environmental Research Facility (AERF). The associated CFD simulations were ... |
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| Mining for Information in Accident Data |
NOV 2006 |
11 pages |
| Authors:
Nelda J. Milburn; Lena Dobbins; Julia Pounds; Scott Goldman; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| Purpose. This project evaluated WinMine, an analytic tool developed by Chickering, Heckerman, Meek, Platt, and Thiesson (2000) to determine its usefulness for identifying higher-order relationships in research data from dynamic and high-consequence aviation events. Traditionally, researchers have relied on several types of analyses to better understand the relationships between factors related to an outcome. However, researchers need an analytic approach that can clearly illustrate the interactions among causal factors as ... |
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| A Review of Recent Laser Illumination Events in the Aviation Environment |
OCT 2006 |
11 pages |
| Authors:
Van B. Nakagawara; Kathryn J. Wood; Ron W. Mongomery; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
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| Flight crewmember exposure to laser light, while operating an aircraft at night, has resulted in glare, flashblindness, and afterimage. Temporary visual impairment and the distraction, disorientation, and discomfort that can accompany it often result in hazardous situations. A database of aviation reports involving laser illumination of flight crewmembers has been established and maintained at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute. A review of recent laser illumination reports was initiated to investigate ... |
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| Color Analysis in Air Traffic Control Displays. Part 1: Radar Displays |
OCT 2006 |
21 pages |
| Authors:
Jing Xing; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| One of the current trends in air traffic control (ATC) display technology is a substantial increase in the use of color. Whereas the advantages of color may seem apparent, little attention has been devoted to potential disadvantages of color use with respect to complex cognitive aspects of the ATC environment. Although controllers use several different displays simultaneously (designed and manufactured by different companies), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not ... |
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| The Sublimation Rate of Dry Ice Packaged in Commonly Used Quantities by the Air Cargo Industry |
AUG 2006 |
8 pages |
| Authors:
Douglas C. Caldwell; Russell J. Lewis; Robert M. Shaffstall; Robert D. Johnson; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| Dry ice is used as a refrigerant for the shipment of perishable goods in the aviation industry. The sublimation of dry ice can, however, lead to incapacitating levels of carbon dioxide in the aircraft cabin environment, as exemplified by the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB's) probable cause determination in a 1998 Brownsville, Texas, incapacitation incident. This incident prompted the NTSB to request that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revisit the ... |
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| Developing Temporal Markers to Profile Operational Errors |
AUG 2006 |
17 pages |
| Authors:
Julia Pounds; Mark D. Rodgers; Deborah Thompson; Daniel G. Jack; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| A commonly held view is that system and human vulnerabilities, whether they emerge at a common moment or over a situation, can form links in a chain of events resulting in an air traffic operational error (OE). However, this truism has not led to the development of better techniques for profiling this progression. If we generally accept that OEs evolve over time, then OEs have temporal characteristics. By better understanding ... |
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| A Human Factors Review of the Operational Error Literature |
AUG 2006 |
66 pages |
| Authors:
David Schroeder; Larry Bailey; Julia Pounds; Carol Manning; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| This report reviews available documents concerning research and initiatives to reduce operational errors (OEs). It provides a brief history of OE investigation and reporting. It describes 154 documents published from 1960-2005 and 222 OE reduction initiatives implemented from 1986 to 2005. Materials are classified by (1) type of study and (2) human and other contributing factors (using the JANUS taxonomy). An analysis of the literature identified several consistent findings. OEs ... |
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| Reweighting AT-SAT to Mitigate Group Score Differences |
JUL 2006 |
12 pages |
| Authors:
Andrew R. Dattel; Raymond E. King; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| The Air Traffic Selection and Training (AT-SAT) test battery is the selection tool for applicants for Air Traffic Control Specialist (ATCS) positions within the FAA who have not previously been employed as an air traffic controller. AT-SAT is an aptitude test developed to predict the likelihood of successfully learning ATCS skills. Before operational use, however, concerns were raised about the low passing rate of incumbent ATCS personnel who participated in ... |
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| Color and Visual Factors in ATC Displays |
JUN 2006 |
22 pages |
| Authors:
Jing Xing; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| Computer displays are one of the major sources of information for air traffic controllers to control traffic. Because the existing display technologies make it so easy to render color on computer monitors, color is being extensively used in air traffic control (ATC) displays. At present, the Federal Aviation Administration has no requirement for how color should be used in ATC displays. While the advantages of color may be apparent, many ... |
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| A Rapid and Inexpensive PCR-Based STR Genotyping Method for Identifying Forensic Specimens |
JUN 2006 |
18 pages |
| Authors:
Doris M. Kupfer; Mark Huggins; Brandt Cassidy; Nicole Vu; Dennis Burian; Dennis V. Canfield1; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
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| Situations arise where forensic samples can be inadvertently misidentified during field collection. Samples identified in the field as being from the same person that return conflicting toxicological results may suggest such misidentification. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based human identity testing provides a reliable and independent method to confirm sample identification. In the study presented here, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's human Combined DNA Identity System (CODIS) loci were used on a ... |
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| An Assessment of Commuting Risk Factors for Air Traffic Control Specialists |
JUN 2006 |
12 pages |
| Authors:
T. Nesthus; C. Cruz; C. Hackworth; A. Boquet; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| Risk factors for sleepiness-related vehicle accidents have included, among others, time of accident, type of roadway, distance traveled, and reduced alertness. This study assessed risk factors for commuting incidents reported by air traffic controllers driving to and from work. Analyses were conducted on responses to a modified version of the Standard Shiftwork Index survey regarding alertness, commuting variables (i.e., number of miles and roadway types), and driving outcomes (i.e., lapses ... |
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| Reexamination of Color Vision Standards, Part 3: Analysis of the Effects of Color Vision Deficiencies in Using ATC Displays |
MAY 2006 |
22 pages |
| Authors:
Jing Xing; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| This report assesses the effect of color use in air traffic control (ATC) displays for users who have color vision deficiencies, denoted as color deficient (CD). Color is extensively used in many ATC displays, yet the color vision standard used by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allows certain types of CDs to enter the ATC workforce. Many guidelines for color use in visual displays state that color use should be ... |
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| Comparison of Pilot Medical History and Medications Found In Postmortem Specimens |
MAY 2006 |
7 pages |
| Authors:
Dennis V. Canfield; Guillermo J. Salazar; Russell J. Lewis; James E. Whinnery; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
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| Pilots are required by FAA regulations to report all medications and medical conditions to the FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine for review as to the overall suitability of the pilot for flight activities. Following a fatal aviation accident, specimens from deceased pilots are collected by local pathologists and sent to the Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory (BSRL) for toxicological analysis. The results of such tests are entered into the BSRL Forensic ... |
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| New Refractive Surgery Procedures and Their Implications for Aviation Safety |
APR 2006 |
47 pages |
| Authors:
Van B. Nakagawara; Kathryn J. Wood; Ron W. Montgomery; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| Since the early 1980s, civil airmen have been allowed to correct refractive error (i.e., myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism) with corrective surgery. Prior Federal Aviation Administration research studies have shown that the number of civil airmen with refractive surgery continues to increase. A study that reviewed refractive surgery use in civil airmen for the years 1994-96, reported that the largest percentage had radial keratotomy (RK). A similar study that reported on the ... |
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| Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP) Decontamination of a Section of a Boeing 747 Cabin |
APR 2006 |
14 pages |
| Authors:
Robert M. Shaffstall; Robert P. Garner; Joshua Bishop; Lora Cameron-Landis; Donald L. Eddington; Gwen Hau; Shawn Spera; Thaddeus Mielnik; James A. Thomas; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| The use of STERIS Corporation's Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP)* technology as a potential biocide for aircraft decontamination was demonstrated in a cabin section of the Aircraft Environment Research Facility (an FAA-owned Boeing 747). When exposed to an appropriate concentration of VHP vapor in the cabin test section, biological indicators inoculated with 106 colony forming units of Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores demonstrated a total suppression of culture growth. Efficacy was demonstrated with ... |
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| Human Factors Implications of Unmanned Aircraft Accidents: Flight-Control Problems |
APR 2006 |
9 pages |
| Authors:
Kevin W. Williams; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| This research focuses on three types of flight control problems associated with unmanned aircraft systems. The three flight control problems are: 1) external pilot difficulties with inconsistent mapping of the controls to the movement of the aircraft; 2) difficulties associated with the transfer of control from one control location to another during the flight; and 3) problems associated the automation of flight control. Specific accidents associated with each type of ... |
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| Reexamination of Color Vision Standards, Part 2. A Computational Method to Assess the Effect of Color Deficiencies in Using ATC Displays |
MAR 2006 |
18 pages |
| Authors:
Jing Xing; David J. Schroeder; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| The previous study showed that many colors were used in air traffic control displays. We also found that colors were used mainly for three purposes: capturing controllers' immediate attention, identifying targets, and segmenting information. This report is a continuing effort to reexamine the FAA's color vision standards, focused on understanding how individuals with color vision deficiencies use color-coded information. We first reviewed and synthesized the literature about the effectiveness of ... |
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| Static Sector Characteristics and Operational Errors |
MAR 2006 |
16 pages |
| Authors:
Scott Goldman; Carol Manning; Elaine Pfleiderer; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| This study was conducted to determine if static sector characteristics are related to the occurrence of operational errors (OEs) at the Indianapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZID). The authors sought to determine whether factors that predicted OEs at the Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZTL) in a study conducted by Rodgers et al. (1998) would also predict OE occurrence at other facilities. The data consisted of a 3-year ... |
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| Aeromedical Aspects of Findings from Aircraft-Assisted Pilot Suicides in the United States, 1993-2002 |
MAR 2006 |
14 pages |
| Authors:
Robert D. Johnson; Russell J. Lewis; James E. Whinnery; Estrella M. Forster; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| All aviation accidents are tragic, but few are more avoidable than aircraft-assisted suicide. Aircraft-assisted suicide may precipitate as a result of clinical depression, marital or financial difficulties, or numerous other problems. While aircraft-assisted suicide attempts almost always result in pilot fatalities, they also have the serious and unfortunate potential to cause collateral damage to property and life. The Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) was interested in evaluating the epidemiological, toxicological, ... |
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| Beneath the Tip of the Iceberg: A Human Factors Analysis of General Aviation Accidents in Alaska Versus the Rest of the United States |
MAR 2006 |
14 pages |
| Authors:
Cristy Detwiler; Carla Hackworth; Kali Holcomb; Albert Boquet; Elaine Pfleiderer; Douglas Wiegmann; Scott Shappell; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| Historically, general aviation (GA) accidents have been overlooked and their impact under-appreciated when compared with those in the commercial or military sector. Recently however, the Federal Aviation Administration and other governmental and civilian organizations have focused their attention on one piece of this proverbial "iceberg," that being GA accidents occurring in Alaska. This study examines more than 17,000 GA accidents using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System. Comparisons of ... |
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| Reexamination of Color Vision Standards, Part I: Status of Color Use in ATC Displays and Demography of Color-Deficit Controllers |
FEB 2006 |
21 pages |
| Authors:
Jing Xing; David J. Schroeder; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| This report describes the status of color use in current air traffic control (ATC) displays. It represents the first step in an effort to reexamine the color vision standards for air traffic controllers. The current job-related color vision tests used by the FAA are based on an analysis of ATC tasks conducted in the 1980s. Over the past decade, many color displays have been introduced, meanwhile, the job-related screening tests ... |
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| Identification of Sildenafil (Viagra) and Its Metabolite (UK 103,320) in Six Aviation Fatalities |
FEB 2006 |
14 pages |
| Authors:
Robert D. Johnson; Russell J. Lewis; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
|
| During the investigation of aviation accidents, postmortem samples from victims are submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute for toxicological analysis. This report presents a rapid and reliable method for the identification and quantitation of sildenafil (Viagra ) and its active metabolite, UK-103,320. This procedure utilizes sildenafil-d8 as an internal standard for more accurate and reliable quantitation. The method incorporates solid-phase extraction and LC/MS/MS and MS/MS/MS utilizing ... |
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| Guidance for Medical Screening of Commercial Aerospace Passengers |
JAN 2006 |
9 pages |
| Authors:
Melchor J. Antunano; Denise L. Baisden; Jeffrey Davis; John D. Hastings; Richard Jennings; David Jones; Jon L. Jordan; Stanley R. Mohler; Charles Ruehle; Guillermo J. Salazar; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
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| This document provides general guidance for operators of manned commercial aerospace flights (suborbital and orbital) in the medical assessment of prospective passengers. This guidance is designed to identify those individuals who have medical conditions that may result in an inflight medical emergency or inflight death, or may compromise in any other way the health and safety of any occupants (crew members and passengers) onboard a commercial aerospace vehicle. Space flight ... |
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| The LC/MS Quantitation of Vardenafil (Levitra) in Postmortem Biological Specimens |
JAN 2006 |
13 pages |
| Authors:
Robert D. Johnson; Russell J. Lewis; Mike K. Angier; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
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| During the investigation of aviation accidents, postmortem specimens from accident victims are submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) for toxicological analysis. As new medications are introduced to the market and are subsequently used by aviation accident victims, CAMI's forensic toxicology laboratory is tasked with developing analytical methods for the determination of these compounds. This report presents a rapid and reliable method for the identification and ... |
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| Relationship of Air Traffic Control Specialist Age to En Route Operational Errors |
DEC 2005 |
21 pages |
| Authors:
Dana Broach; David J. Schroeder; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
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| Public Law 92-297, passed in 1971, requires that air traffic control specialists (ATCSs) hired after May 16, 1972 retire at age 56. The underlying rationale was that as controllers aged, the cumulative effects of stress, fatigue (from shift work), and age-related cognitive changes created a safety risk (U.S. House of Representatives, 1971). This hypothesis has been considered in two recent studies of en route operational errors (OEs). The Center for ... |
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| Comparison of a Typical Electronic Attitude-Direction Indicator with Terrain-Depicting Primary Flight Displays, for Performing Recoveries from Unknown Attitudes: Using Difference and Equivalence Tests |
DEC 2005 |
12 pages |
| Authors:
Dennis B. Beringer; Jerry D. Ball; Kelly Brennan; Sitafa Taite; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
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| A study was conducted to determine if primary flight displays (PFDs) depicting terrain could be used with a level of safety equivalent to electronic attitude-direction indicators (EADIs) without terrain. Five groups of 8 pilots each flew scenarios in a flight simulator using one of three PFDs (EADI, full-color terrain, uniformly brown terrain) with or without guidance cues. Performances of recoveries from unknown attitudes using the EADI were measured first as ... |
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| Human Error and General Aviation Accidents: A Comprehensive, Fine-Grained Analysis Using HFACS |
DEC 2005 |
22 pages |
| Authors:
Douglas Wiegmann; Troy Faaborg; Albert Boquet; Cristy Detwiler; Kali Holcomb; Scott Shappell; FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY OK CIVIL AEROMEDICAL INST
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| The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) is a theoretically based tool for investigating and analyzing human error associated with accidents and incidents. Previous research performed at both the University of Illinois and the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute has successfully shown that HFACS can be reliably used to analyze the underlying human causes of both commercial and general aviation (GA) accidents. These analyses have helped to identify general trends ... |
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