Assessing the Aircraft Crew Actions with the Aid of a Human Factor Risk Model

Abstract

Presented is a human factor risk model when piloting an aircraft. This model is based on comparing representations of the evaluated crew actions with the comparable action representations of various types and performance quality, which form a representative sample and are contained in a pre-formed specialized database. The risk in question is represented by probabilistic estimates, which result from consistent applications of the Principal Component Analysis, Multidimensional Scaling, and Cluster Analysis to three types of characteristics, viz.: parameters of flights and states of aircraft systems, gaze movement trajectories and time series of oculomotor activity primary indexes. These steps form the clusters of flight fragments for various types and performance quality, including abnormal ones. The Discriminant Analysis provides calculating the probabilistic profile for belonging to certain target clusters, with a final conclusion being derived from this structure. Key elements of the approach presented are three new metrics used to compare crew actions and to ensure significant discrimination for flight fragments of various types and performance quality. Detailing flight parameters contributions in differences of the flight fragments in a given metric is carried out to provide meaningful analysis of the detected abnormality causes. With sufficient computational performance, the flight data analysis under consideration can be implemented in real time automatic mode.