POLICY IMPACTS OF ATC AUTOMATION: HUMAN FACTORS CONSIDERATIONS

This report examines the future policy impact implications of advanced air traffic control (ATC) systems which might be developed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It studies impacts of ATC automation on sector air traffic controllers, with emphasis placed on the identification of human factors problems that may arise in the future if higher levels of automation are implemented. Of particular concern are those human factors that may in some manner determine the direction of automation development or impeded the implementation of automation. Using descriptions of technological components currently proposed by the FAA, six ATC system operations were defined. These systems represent various levels of automation development from the current system to a system in which the human controller acts as a systems data manager. The systems were evaluated in terms of 17 factors describing job satisfaction and motivation, man-machine interface, and failure mode operations in order to identify critical operational characteristics for each system.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Prepared in cooperation with Payne-Maxie Consultants, Berkeley, CA.
• Corporate Authors:

  SRI International

  333 Ravenswood Avenue
  Menlo Park, CA  United States  94025-3493
• Authors:
  • Couluris, G J
  • Tashker, M G
  • Penick, M C
• Publication Date: 1978-1

Media Info

• Pagination: 144 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air traffic control; Air traffic controllers; Automation; Decision making; Emergencies; Failure; Human factors; Human factors engineering; Human machine systems; Job satisfaction; Management; Motivation; Planning; Policy; User interfaces (Computer science)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Systems management
• Old TRIS Terms: Man computer interface
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Aviation; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00175456
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: FAA-AVP-78-1 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-FA76WAI-635
• Files: NTIS, TRIS
• Created Date: May 31 1978 12:00AM