Collision Avoidance Response Stereotypes in Pilots and Nonpilots

Abstract

A two-part study was conducted to investigate the effects of target variables upon pilot and nonpilot collision avoidance responses to simulated approaches which were head-on or nearly so. Part I investigated the effect of bearing and found that nonpilots preferred to turn left in a head-on approach. Although pilots generally turned right under the same conditions, 25% exhibited the nonpilot left-turn response. The nonpilot response bias seemed related to the type of control used for aircraft pilotage. Part II examined the effects of bearing and collision index (a geometric construct representing an index for optimal response selection) upon the responses of 24 pilots. Two subgroups were identified, one apparently attending primarily to bearing while the other attended to aspect. Only one subject appeared to use the optimal collision-index construct for response selection.