Pilot Monitoring vs Pilot Managing

Lex Rock Heemstra – SM Human FactorsQatar Flight Operations Training

PACDEFF, Melbourne, Australia, 2017

Captain Historically

Problem Statement

“The modern airplane is the product of a program of research, development and refinement in detail that no other structure or mechanism has ever matched. The results have been so remarkable that there is always danger of forgetting that these extraordinary craft still have to be operated by men, and that the most important test they have to meet is still that of being operable without imposing unreasonable demands or

unnecessary strains on the flight personnel.”

Edward P. Warner , 1946

President ICAO : 1947-1957

“History repeats itself ….

because nobody listens”

John Lennon

Problems with Monitoring

• “Throughout the flight, pilots are required to monitor many functions, the state of the aircraft, aircraft configuration, flight path and the actions of the other pilot in the cockpit. Thus, the number of opportunities for error is enormous – especially on challenging flights”.

Foreword – A Practical Guide for Improving Flight Path Monitoring – FSF - 2014

• Two major Safeguards – Checklists and Monitoring.

Industry Concern regarding Monitoring

• 2010 – “Checklists and Monitoring in the Cockpit: Why Critical Defenses sometimes fail”. Dismukes, R.K. & Berman, B. NASA

• 2013: RAeS Flight Operations Group – Aircraft Commander in the 21st Century: “Pilot Monitoring – Cultivating a Healthy Unease”

• 2013: CAA Paper 2013/02: “Monitoring Matters - Guidance on the Development of Pilot Monitoring Skills”

• 2014: Flight Safety Foundation: “A practical Guide for Improving Flight Path Monitoring”

Flight Safety Foundation: Practical Guide to Flight Path Monitoring - November 2014

Challenges in Monitoring

• Human Factors:

– The human brain has difficulty with sustained vigilance

– The human brain has quite limited ability to multitask

– Humans are vulnerable to interruptions and distractions

– Humans are vulnerable to cognitive limitations that affect what they notice and do not notice.

Flight Safety Foundation: Practical Guide to Flight Path Monitoring - November 2014

Less Pilot Monitoring Duties ???

FADEC

RAAS

FOQA

FIRE/SMOKE DETECTION

HEADINGTCAS

SPEED

SMART LANDING

FMGC

HEIGHT

ENGINE START

EICAS/ECAM

FUEL MANAGEMENT

CABIN PRESSURISATION

EGPWS

Auto Pilot

Auto Throttle

Flight Director

Airline Accidents and Trend

Source: Flight Safety Foundation

B767

B757

B737-300

A320

A340

B737-400

B737-500

B777-200

B777-300

A340-600

A380

Red)

On Approach

The general PM phase of

flight responsibilities are:

– Checklist reading

– Communications

– Tasks asked for by the

PF

– Monitoring taxiing,

flight path, airspeed,

airplane configuration,

and navigation.

Read the

checklist

“Missed

approach

altitude set”

Monitor

Flight path

“Cabin

crew calls”

“GS”

“Managed

speed”

Pilot Monitoring (PM)Majority of Airlines

Localiser

alive

“LOC”

AP 1+2

LOC blue

GS Blue

Call out

“CHECK” - at

least 9 times

Landing

Lights onFlap

Settings

Arm Speed

Brakes

Confirm

Check

Monitor

Speed

Landing

Gear Down

Landing

Clearance

Frequency

Change

“GS alive”

“GS Star”

Effective Monitoring

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Never Hardly Ever Sometimes Often Very Often

"I have observed the other pilot make errors due to a lack of knowledge /understanding of the automation"

FO's Captains Instructors

Source: Multicultural Airline Automation Questionnaire 2010; N= 306 (Heemstra:2010)

FO’s

Captains

Instructors

BEA Trident AWO Project 1968/9

• Under the auspices of John “Cats Eyes” Cunningham (Hawker Siddeley Test Pilot) and David “Guy” Thomas – developed an AWO procedure for the Trident

– Left Seat – Senior Handling Pilot

– Right Seat – Junior Handling Pilot

– Jump Seat – Commander

• 50 Simulator sessions with positive crews response

• Not implemented – Unions and CAA anti (maybe ahead of it’s time).

Source: Capt John Selwood – former BEA

Effective Monitoring

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

5 Yrs 10Yrs 15 Yrs 20 Yrs 25 Yrs 30 Yrs 35 Yrs 40 Yrs

"I have observed the other pilot make errors due to lack of knowledge /understanding of the automation"

Responses based on Years in Aviation

Never Hardly Ever Sometimes Often Very Often

Source: Multicultural Airline Automation Questionnaire 2010; N= 306 (Heemstra:2010)

10,000 hours of "deliberate practice" are needed to become

world-class in any field.Malcolm Gladwell

Gorilla Video Exercises

• Before video – assign pairs – one PF and the other PM.

• Video over:

• PF – 14 X passes

• PM – 14 X passes

• The novelty of the situation draws in both PF and PM

• Who then monitors the big picture?

• Are we training monitoring correctly?.

Perception of Stress by Multinational Pilots

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

Age

Perceived Stress by Age

Perceived Stress 10 per. Mov. Avg. (Perceived Stress)

Source: Multinational Airline Stress Questionnaire Jan/Feb 2011: N= 154, Captains = 81, FOs = 73

Perception of Stress by Multinational Pilots

Perceived Stress by Hours (Experience)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

1800

5500

6500

7000

7500

8000

8500

8500

9000

9500

1000

0

1000

0

1000

0

1050

0

1070

0

1100

0

1100

0

1150

0

1200

0

1300

0

1300

0

1400

0

1400

0

1400

0

1500

0

1560

0

1670

0

1750

0

2000

0

2100

0

Flight Hours

Perceived Stress 10 per. Mov. Avg. (Perceived Stress)

Source: Multinational Airline Stress Questionnaire Jan/Feb 2011: N= 154, Captains = 81, FOs = 73

System 1 – Reactive Process (Intuition)

• Unconscious, intuitive & effort free

• Recognises patterns in a fraction of a second

• Automatically produces an adequate solution to the challenges – “jumps to conclusions”

• The Boss of our thoughts

• Most of the time - very good at what is does

• But:

– Works in an oversimplified world,

– Assumes “what you see is all there is”

– Has no doubt whatsoever in its thinking process.

System II – Thinking Process

• Slow, conscious and analytical

• Takes time to analyse in depth

• Required for Problem Solving and Decision Making

• Represents the conscious self that makes choices and decides what to do

System 1: Fast, automatic, frequent, emotional, stereotypic, subconscious

System 2: Slow, effortful, infrequent, logical, calculating, conscious

So what now?

• Several monitoring functions automated

• Most workgroups rearrange existing procedures or set up additional or re-emphasise existing = mental overload

• Pilots: effective monitors at approx 10 000 hrs plus

• Novel distractions will capture attention of both pilots – suspicion/awareness

• Mental workload/stress subject to individual ability

• Cannot apply system I and system II thinking at the same time.

Abnormal/Emergency Events

• Memory Item – conduct as trained.

• All other:

– FO – Pilot Flying: • max automation as available

• Intuitive (System I) – mainly procedural memory

– Capt – Pilot Managing: (use of knowledge & experience)• Slide seat back – enhances big picture

• Engage System II

• Problem Solving & Decision Making

– Once new plan assessed and briefed – conduct landing as per company procedure

Consideration

• Pilot Flying: – Physically flies the aircraft as instructed by the PM

– Responsible for correct & intended flight path

• Pilot Managing:

– Manages the flight path and operation of the aircraft

– Responsible for the safe and efficient operation of the aircraft

– When managing – it is his/her sector

– Takes ownership of the responsibility.

Back to the Future Captain?

Questions

?