The Influence of Visibility, Cloud Ceiling, Financial Incentive, and Personality Factors on General Aviation Pilots' Willingness to Take Off into Marginal Weather, Part I: The Data and Preliminary Conclusions

Adverse weather is the leading cause of fatalities in general aviation (GA). In this research, influences of ground visibility, cloud ceiling height, financial incentive, and personality were tested on 60 GA pilots' willingness to take off into simulated adverse weather. Results suggested that pilots do not see "weather" as a monolithic cognitive construct but, rather, as an interaction between its separate factors. This was supported by the finding that the multiplicative statistical effect of visibility and ceiling could better predict takeoff than could the linear effect of either variable considered separately. Also found was a statistical trend toward financial incentive being able to predict takeoffs. However, non of the 10 personality tests (incorporating over 500 separate response items) could predict takeoff.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2000s/media/0507.pdf
• Record URL:
  • http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2000s/media/0507_1.pdf
• Record URL:
  • http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2000s/media/0507_apen.pdf
• 
• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/58469
• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Aviation Administration

  Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, P.O. Box 25082
  Oklahoma City, OK  United States  73125

  Federal Aviation Administration

  Office of Aerospace Medicine, 800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591
• Authors:
  • Knecht, W
  • Harris, H
  • Shappell, S
• Publication Date: 2005-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 44p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Clouds; Fatalities; Finance; General aviation pilots; Incentives; Personality; Simulation; Statistical trends; Takeoff; Tests; Visibility; Weather
• Uncontrolled Terms: Adverse weather; Cloud ceiling height; Marginal weather
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Finance; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01000548
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT/FAA/AM-05/7
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 2 2005 10:32AM