Pilot Performance and Anxiety in a High-Risk Flight Test Environment

Abstract

Recent flight testing of an Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (AutoGCAS) provided the opportunity to test a variety of variables thought to influence pilot and aircraft performance under high-risk flight situations. Pilot anxiety ratings were compared to measures of elevation from the ground, airspeed, time-to-ground impact, bank angle, and heart rate during the accomplishment of dive recovery maneuvers. Pilot activation of an experimental AutoGCAS provided the chance to study pilot anxiety levels in situations not normally encountered during flight test. A multivariate statistical model was used to determine the contribution of each of the variables chosen on the outcome of flying a semi-automated aircraft control system under high-risk conditions. Results indicated that several flight variables with high face validity were not major contributors in terms of determining pilot performance, however a more complex model of interactive system effects may be indicated by this test.