Detection of Pilot's Mental Workload Using a Wireless EEG Headset in Airfield Traffic Pattern Tasks

Elevated mental workload (MWL) experienced by pilots can result in increased reaction times or incorrect actions, potentially compromising flight safety. This study aims to develop a functional system to assist administrators in identifying and detecting pilots' real-time MWL and evaluate its effectiveness using designed airfield traffic pattern tasks within a realistic flight simulator. The perceived MWL in various situations was assessed and labeled using NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) scores. Physiological features were then extracted using a fast Fourier transformation with 2-s sliding time windows. Feature selection was conducted by comparing the results of the Kruskal-Wallis (K-W) test and Sequential Forward Floating Selection (SFFS). The results proved that the optimal input was all PSD features. Moreover, the study analyzed the effects of electroencephalography (EEG) features from distinct brain regions and PSD changes across different MWL levels to further assess the proposed system's performance. A 10-fold cross-validation was performed on six classifiers, and the optimal accuracy of 87.57% was attained using a multi-class K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) classifier for classifying different MWL levels. The findings indicate that the wireless headset-based system is reliable and feasible. Consequently, numerous wireless EEG device-based systems can be developed for application in diverse real-driving scenarios. Additionally, the current system contributes to future research on actual flight conditions.

Galvanic vestibular stimulation to counteract leans illusion: comparing step and ramped waveforms

Leans is a common type of Spatial Disorientation (SD) illusion that causes pilots to be confused about the position of the aircraft during a flight. This illusion could lead to serious adverse effects and even flight mishaps. Therefore, an effective means to deal with leans is crucial for flight safety. This study aims to investigate the effects of Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) technology with different waveforms as a tool to mitigate the negative effects of leans. 20 Air Force pilots participated in leans-induced flight simulation experiment with three GVS conditions (without-GVS, step-GVS, ramped-GVS). Bank angle error, subjective SD, perceived strength, and annoyance were measured as the dependent variables. Analysis revealed that step-GVS and ramped-GVS yielded lower bank angle errors and subjective SD than without-GVS. In addition, annoyance ratings were lower for ramped-GVS than step-GVS. This study suggests that GVS has the potential to be utilised as a counteracting tool to cope with leans.Practitioner summary: Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) can be utilised as a tool to counteract the detrimental effects of leans illusion, specifically the ramped style GVS, considering that it is less annoying and distracting for the pilots. In general, GVS induces a roll sensation that can offset the false sensation caused by the leans, which can potentially help maintain flight safety and avoid spatial disorientation-related accidents.Abbreviations: SD: spatial disorientation; GVS: galvanic vestibular stimulation; MSSQ: motion sickness susceptibility questionniare; SSQ: simulator sickness questionnaire; BLE: bluetooth low energy; PCB: printed circuit board; RPM: revolution per minute.

Pilots' mental workload variation when taking a risk in a flight scenario: a study based on flight simulator experiments

Pilots' operation behavior in flight is associated with their mental state variables such as workload, situation awareness, stress, etc. The objective of this study was to investigate the dynamic process of mental workload for pilots who perform a risky flight task in simulated scenarios. Two empirical experiments were conducted to address this issue. In experiment one, 19 trainee pilots divided into high-risk and low-risk groups performed a target-search task in a low-altitude visual flight. The results showed a statistically significant interaction between groups and segments for heart rate variability (HRV). The same pattern of physiological results was replicated among participants in experiment two, in which 19 airline pilots completed an approach with low visibility. These findings highlighted the relationship between mental workload variation and risk-taking behavior, which could be considered in improving pilot selection and training to improve flight safety.

[Participation of aeromedicine specialists in complex forensic medical examination in aviation accidents]

The problem of flight safety and aviation injury were considered, data on aviation accidents in Civil aviation were shown, the main causes of aviation accidents were presented: technical failure, difficult meteorological conditions, deficiencies in flight organization and «human factor». The conditional classification of aviation injury was presented. Detection of primary injuries is especially important for aeromedicine (head impact on dashboard, bone fracture at the ankle, «loss of vital space», laceration between 1st and 2nd fingers from the control wheel), that determine the pattern of pilots' actions in an emergency situation. A three-link flight medical support system was remained to prevent flying under the influence of alcohol, drugs and psychoactive substances. The Department of Aerospace Medicine developed the algorithm of pilots' examination suspected of using toxic substances. The materials of pilot's psychological examination after an aviation accident in the state of posttraumatic stress disorder are presented.

Could cardiac autonomic modulation be an objective method to identify hypobaric hypoxia symptoms at 25.000ft among Brazilian military airmen?

Hypobaric hypoxia during a flight can cause accidents, resulting in deaths. Heart rate variability may be more sensitive than self-reported hypoxia symptoms to the effects of HH. The level of physical fitness can contribute to efficient cardiac autonomic modulation. However, no studies have examined the association between fitness, heart rate variability, and the time of onset of hypobaric hypoxia symptoms. To analyze the influence of hypobaric hypoxia on cardiac autonomic function at the time of onset of the first symptoms and its association with physical fitness. Male airmen trained and belonging to the staff of the Brazilian Air Force (n = 23; 30 ± 6.7 years) participated in a flight simulation in a 25.000 ft hypobaric chamber. Heart rate variability was recorded with a Polar® cardiac monitor. Data were analyzed in the time-domain method using Kubios software. We evaluated pulse oximetry with the Mindray PM-60 oximeter. Physical fitness assessment test results were collected from the archive. At moments rest vs. hypoxia revealed a decrease in heart rate variability indices iRR and RMSSD (p < 0.001). The individual analysis of hypoxia-rest variation showed that 100% of the airmen had a negative delta for both iRR and RMSSD indices. The time of onset of hypoxia symptoms was not associated with body composition, physical fitness, oxygen saturation, and HRV indices. Also, we suggest that cardiac autonomic modulation seems to be more sensitive to the effects of hypobaric hypoxia at 25.000 ft than the self-reported subjective perception of symptoms. Further devices that alert to a hypoxic condition during a flight should consider heart rate variability allowing more time and security to reestablish control of the flight.

Integrating the HFACS Framework and Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping for In-Flight Startle Causality Analysis

This paper discusses the challenge of modeling in-flight startle causality as a precursor to enabling the development of suitable mitigating flight training paradigms. The article presents an overview of aviation human factors and their depiction in fuzzy cognitive maps (FCMs), based on the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) framework. The approach exemplifies system modeling with agents (causal factors), which showcase the problem space's characteristics as fuzzy cognitive map elements (concepts). The FCM prototype enables four essential functions: explanatory, predictive, reflective, and strategic. This utility of fuzzy cognitive maps is due to their flexibility, objective representation, and effectiveness at capturing a broad understanding of a highly dynamic construct. Such dynamism is true of in-flight startle causality. On the other hand, FCMs can help to highlight potential distortions and limitations of use case representation to enhance future flight training paradigms.

Airport Spatial Usability in Measuring the Spherical Antenna Properties on Small Aircraft

The strict safety requirements of air transport for nonstandard placement of electronic onboard systems require an innovative approach to the experimental verification of the placement of these devices. Particular attention is required to the location of these electronic devices’ antenna systems on the fuselage. A prerequisite for determining the location of the antenna and verifying its radiation is a thorough knowledge of the radio communication transmission of onboard electronic systems in cooperation with terrestrial or satellite systems. From this point of view, this article focuses on an innovative method of verifying the spherical radiation characteristics of the antenna of an onboard rescue system emergency locator transmitter (ELT) to assess its communication link with the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system. The measurement is performed on a small sports two-seater aircraft with an antenna placed in an unusual place in the aircraft’s cabin, between the seats. It was impossible to use a suitable nonreflective attenuation chamber for the measurement, so we present a method and procedure for this type of measurement in the open space of an airport. The achieved results prove the plausibility and reproducibility of the measurement. Furthermore, combining several polar radiation characteristics makes it possible to obtain an idea, even if only a part, of the spatial (spherical) radiation characteristic. This article presents a simple method of measuring the characteristics of aircraft antennas when it is not possible to use a suitable professional nonreflective attenuation chamber for measurements for various reasons. This method can also be used on other larger means of transport or other objects that experience the same problem.

Using neural networks to predict high-risk flight environments from accident and incident data

Flight risk assessment tools (FRATs) aid pilots in evaluating risk arising from the flight environment. Current FRATs are subjective, based on linear analyses and subject-matter expert interpretation of flight factor/risk relationships. However, a 'flight system' is complex with non-linear relationships between variables and emergent outcomes. A neural network was trained to categorize high and low-risk flight environments from factors such as the weather and pilot experience using data extracted from accident and incident reports. Negative outcomes were used as markers of risk level, with low severity outcomes representing low-risk environments and high severity outcomes representing high-risk environments. Eighteen models with varied architectures were created and evaluated for convergence, generalization and stability. Classification results of the highest performing model indicated that neural networks have the ability to learn and generalize to unseen accident and incident data, suggesting that they have the potential to offer an alternative to current risk analysis methods.

Selected Aspects of Navigation System Synthesis for Increased Flight Safety, Protection of Human Lives, and Health

Accurate navigation systems allow us to optimize the trajectory of flying objects and thus solve environmental problems in aviation and their impact on public health. In this paper, we present one of the methods of assessment of accuracy and resistance to interference of distance-measuring equipment (DME). By using computer technology, the method enables us to determine the potential but also the real error measuring the distance of the flying object from DME. The credibility of the respective results of the solution on the task of DME optimal rangefinder synthesis depends on the accuracy of the previous data used, i.e., mathematical models of the respective flying objects flight dynamics, useful signals, and their parameters and interference. DME systems have an impact on air transport safety, and therefore the impact of interference on their operation must be investigated.

A Preliminary Study of U.S. Air Force Pilot Perceptions of the Pilot-Flight Surgeon Relationship

INTRODUCTION

Flight surgeons play a vital role in U.S. Air Force aviation operations by ensuring that pilots are medically prepared to meet the demands of military aviation. However, there is natural tension between pilots and flight surgeons. A pilot may be reluctant to share medical information with a flight surgeon who could negatively impact the pilot's career or flight status. In this preliminary study, we sought to identify pilot-perceived strengths and weaknesses in the relationship between U.S. Air Force aviators and their flight surgeons.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An online survey regarding pilot-flight surgeon confidence and perceived values was distributed electronically to a convenience sample of U.S. Air Force aviators. Participants included U.S. Air Force active duty and Air Reserve Component (Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard) military aviators in addition to U.S. Air Force Academy aviation cadets.

RESULTS

One hundred and seventy-three aviators participated in the survey. Respondents reported variable comfort in approaching flight surgeons with medical concerns and suggested that they believed other pilots might be withholding medical information from flight surgeons or seeking care from civilian physicians for career protection.

CONCLUSIONS

We sought to examine the pilot-flight surgeon relationship and its impact on daily flying operations. While limited, results suggest that there may be gaps in trust between pilots and their flight surgeons. These findings could present an opportunity to improve the pilot-flight surgeon relationship by identifying factors that contribute to closer pilot-flight surgeon relationships.

Monitoring of Low-Level Wind Shear by Ground-based 3D Lidar for Increased Flight Safety, Protection of Human Lives and Health

Low-level wind shear, i.e., sudden changes in wind speed and/or wind direction up to altitudes of 1600 ft (500 m) above-ground is a hazardous meteorological phenomenon in aviation. It may radically change the aerodynamic circumstances of the flight, particularly during landing and take-off and consequently, it may threaten human lives and the health of passengers, people at the airport and its surrounding areas. The Bratislava Airport, the site of this case study, is one of the few airports worldwide and the first in Central Europe that is equipped with a Doppler lidar system, a perspective remote sensing tool for detecting low-level wind shear. The main objective of this paper was to assess the weather events collected over a period of one year with the occurrences of low-level wind shear situations, such as vertical discontinuities in the wind field, frontal passages and gust fronts to increase the level of flight safety and protect human lives and health. The lidar data were processed by a computer algorithm with the main focus on potential wind shear alerts and microburst alerts, guided by the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation. In parallel, the selected weather events were analyzed by the nearby located meteorological radar to utilize the strengths of both approaches. Additionally, an evaluation of the lidar capability to scan dynamics of aerosol content above the airport is presented.

Leading article: What has an Airbus A380 Captain got to do with OMFS? Lessons from aviation to improve patient safety

The understanding of why air accidents occur and all the factors involved with them has been a strong and constantly evolving driver for improving flight safety. While they are diverse professions, there are many similarities between flying commercial aircraft and surgery, particularly in relation to minimising risk and managing potentially fatal or catastrophic complications. Safety developments in the operating theatre seem to have lagged behind other High Risk Organisations (HROs). A 2018 Quality Care Commission report stated that never events are wholly preventable and expressed the need to learn from other industries. In this article we discuss various transferable lessons and procedures advocated from aviation that could be applied to OMFS in an attempt to improve team culture and safety for our patients.

Aging and Cardiometabolic Risk in European HEMS Pilots: An Assessment of Occupational Old-Age Limits as a Regulatory Risk Management Strategy

Old-age limits are imposed in some occupations in an effort to ensure public safety. In aviation, the "Age 60 Rule" limits permissible flight operations conducted by pilots aged 60 and over. Using a retrospective cohort design, we assessed this rule's validity by comparing age-related change rates of cardiometabolic incapacitation risk markers in European helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) pilots near age 60 with those in younger pilots. Specifically, individual clinical, laboratory, and electrocardiogram (ECG)-based risk markers and an overall cardiovascular event risk score were determined from aeromedical examination records of 66 German, Austrian, Polish, and Czech HEMS pilots (average follow-up 8.52 years). Risk marker change rates were assessed using linear mixed models and generalized additive models. Body mass index increases over time were slower in pilots near age 60 compared to younger pilots, and fasting glucose levels increased only in the latter. Whereas the lipid profile remained unchanged in the latter, it improved in the former. An ECG-based arrhythmia risk marker increased in younger pilots, which persisted in the older pilots. Six-month risk of a fatal cardiovascular event (in or out of cockpit) was estimated between 0% and 0.3%. Between 41% and 95% of risk marker variability was due to unexplained time-stable between-person differences. To conclude, the cardiometabolic risk marker profile of HEMS pilots appears to improve over time in pilots near age 60, compared to younger pilots. Given large stable interindividual differences, we recommend individualized risk assessment of HEMS pilots near age 60 instead of general grounding.

Evaluation of a strapless heart rate monitor during simulated flight tasks

Pilots are under high task demands during flight. Monitoring pilot's physiological status is very important in the evaluation of pilot's workload and flight safety. Recently, physiological status monitor (PSM) has been embedded into a watch that can be used without a conventional chest strap. This makes it possible to unobtrusively monitor, log and transmit pilot's physiological measurements such as heart rate (HR) during flight tasks. The purpose of this study is to validate HR recorded by a strapless heart rate watch against criterion ECG-derived HR. Ten commercial pilots (mean ± SD : age: 39.1 ± 7.8 years; total flight hours 7173.2 ± 5270.9 hr) performed three routinely trained flight tasks in a full flight simulator: wind shear go-around (WG), takeoff and climb (TC), and hydraulic failure (HF). For all tasks combined (overall) and for each task, differences between the heart rate watch measurements and the criterion data were small (mean difference [95% CI]: overall: -0.71 beats/min [-0.85, -0.57]; WG: -0.90 beats/min [-1.15, -0.65]; TC: -0.69 beats/min [-0.98, -0.40]; HF: -0.61 beats/min [-0.80, -0.42]). There were high correlations between the heart rate watch measurements and the ECG-derived HR for all tasks (r ≥ 0.97, SEE < 3). Bland-Altman plots also show high agreements between the watch measurements and the criterion HR. These results suggest that the strapless heart rate watch provides valid measurements of HR during simulated flight tasks and could be a useful tool for pilot workload evaluation.

The vulnerability of rules in complex work environments: dynamism and uncertainty pose problems for cognition

Many complex work environments rely heavily on cognitive operators using rules. Operators sometimes fail to implement rules, with catastrophic human, social and economic costs. Rule-based error is widely reported, yet the mechanisms of rule vulnerability have received less attention. This paper examines rule vulnerability in the complex setting of airline transport operations. We examined 'the stable approach criteria rule', which acts as a system defence during the approach to land. The study experimentally tested whether system state complexity influenced rule failure. The results showed increased uncertainty and dynamism led to increased likelihood of rule failure. There was also an interaction effect, indicating complexity from different sources can combine to further constrain rule-based response. We discuss the results in relation to recent aircraft accidents and suggest that 'rule-based error' could be progressed to embrace rule vulnerability, fragility and failure. This better reflects the influence that system behaviour and cognitive variety have on rule-based response. Practitioner Summary: In this study, we examined mechanisms of rule vulnerability in the complex setting of airline transport operations. The results suggest work scenarios featuring high uncertainty and dynamism constrain rule-based response, leading to rules becoming vulnerable, fragile or failing completely. This has significant implications for rule-intensive, safety critical work environments.