Carla Hackworth - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Carla Hackworth

Shift work has been shown to be injurious to some. Because shift work can be harmful it is import... more Shift work has been shown to be injurious to some. Because shift work can be harmful it is important to understand the personal and environmental characteristics that result in that harm. In 1999, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) collected survey data from shift workers, including Flight Service Specialists (FSS), and Certified Professional Controllers (CPC). These data were submitted to multiple-groups path analyses that attempted to replicated the C. Smith et al. (1999) model as well as fitting an analysis that placed personality variables as predictor rather than outcome variables. Additionally, these data were analyzed using structural equation models. The model positioning personality variables as predictors best fit the data, both in the path analysis and the structural models. CPCs and FSSs showed the same patterns of relationships among the variables, with age, sleep flexibility, coping style and emotional problems predicting environmental variables that resulted in negative health outcomes. The modes suggest that critical junctures for remediations and interventions are coping behaviors, sleep strategies, and somatic anxiety.

AeroSafety world, Mar 1, 2008

This presentation is to be used to debrief the video, "The Human Factors in Aircraft Maintenance"... more This presentation is to be used to debrief the video, "The Human Factors in Aircraft Maintenance", and highlight the importance of the "Dirty Dozen" and HFACS-ME (Human Factors Analysis and Classification System-Maintenance Extension). This film was initially created to provide an example case for the"Dirty Dozen". However, the factors described in this accident also need to be reported and further analyzed, along with past and future accident and incident reports, for possible trends that may lead to future errors, incidents, and accidents. HFACS-ME provides that capability. HFACS-ME's Framework incorporates all of the "Dirty Dozen's" elements and allows a method to further classify errors into a total of 34 separate categories. HFACS-ME, if used as part of an organization's standard investigation and reporting system, can more thoroughly investigate, report, and analyze accidents and incidents.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) considers the reduction of general aviation (GA) accide... more The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) considers the reduction of general aviation (GA) accidents to be one of its highest priorities. Ensuring that pilot applicants receive complete and thorough practical examinations that are in full compliance with the appropriate practical test standards is one of the many safeguards in place to improve general aviation safety. Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs), FAA aviation safety inspectors, and schools with examining authority operating under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 141 serve as gatekeepers of aviation safety by ensuring that only pilot applicants that meet all of the regulatory certification requirements are issued pilot certificates. This study used two separate survey instruments to assess practical test examination practices nationally by soliciting feedback from DPEs and newly certificated GA pilots. The first instrument surveyed DPEs. We mailed 848 surveys to DPEs across the United States and screened returned surveys to include only those who had conducted at least one first-time private Pilot Airplane Single-Engine-Land (P-ASEL) practical test in the previous 12 months. Five hundred-forty respondents (64% response rate) met this criterion for inclusion in this paper. The final sample included experienced pilot examiners where over 64% indicated they had been an examiner for at least 11 years. Within the 12 months previous to completing the survey, pilot examiners conducted an average of 30 first-time private P-ASEL category and class rating tests, with 59% indicating that at least 81% of their first-time applicants passed. Nearly 99% of examiners reported using a written plan of action when conducting a practical test. The second instrument surveyed newly certificated GA pilots about their training and practical testing experiences. We mailed 4,216 surveys to pilots who were newly certificated on or after August 1, 2005 for the P-ASEL category and class rating. Returned surveys were screened to include only pilots who were tested by an examiner (includes ASIs, designated pilot examiners, and those tested by both a final phase check and examiner) and to include only those who had no previous private P-ASEL category and class rating practical test failures. This left 1,112 surveys (26% response rate) for reporting purposes. The average amount of time between the certification date and survey completion was less than three months (M=2.7 months; N=986). Source of training for pilots was split across pilot schools (Part 141 and non-Part 141: 43%), and independent flight instructors (57%). The majority of pilots were positive about the quality of flight instruction they received, with more than 80% giving high marks. When commenting upon their practical test experience, more than 95% reported that they were tested on stalls (power-on and power-off), spin awareness (82%), aeronautical decision-making (85%), and in-flight collision avoidance (82%).

Researchers from NASA Ames Research Center's Flight Cognition Lab and the FAA's Flight Deck Human... more Researchers from NASA Ames Research Center's Flight Cognition Lab and the FAA's Flight Deck Human Factors Research Laboratory at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) examined task and workload management by single pilots in very light jets (VLJs), also called entry-level jets (ELJs). Fourteen certificated Cessna Citation Mustang (C510-S) pilots flew an experimental flight with two legs involving high workload management under instrument flight rules (IFR) in a Cessna Citation Mustang ELJ level 5 flight training device 4 at CAMI. Eight of the pilots were Mustang owner-operators and the other six flew the Citation Mustang as part of their jobs as professional pilots. In addition to the Cessna Citation Mustang simulator, data collection included the use of a non-invasive eye tracker (mounted to the glare shield), instantaneous self-assessment of perceived workload, NASA Task Load Index (TLX) workload measures, researcher observations, final debriefing interviews, and three questionnaires: Cockpit Setup Preferences; Demographics; and Automation Experiences and Perceptions.

2005 International Symposium on Aviation Psychology, 2005

General aviation (GA) accidents that occurred in Alaska versus the rest of the United States were... more General aviation (GA) accidents that occurred in Alaska versus the rest of the United States were compared using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS). Overall, categorical differences among unsafe acts (decision errors, skill-based errors, perceptual errors, and violations) committed by pilots involved in accidents in Alaska and those in the rest of the U.S. were minimal. However, a closer inspection of the data revealed notable variations in the specific forms of unsafe acts within the accident record. Specifically, skill-based errors associated with loss of directional control were more likely to occur in Alaska than the rest of the U.S. Likewise, the decision to utilize unsuitable terrain was more likely to occur in Alaska. Additionally, accidents in Alaska were associated with violations concerning VFR into IMC. These data provide valuable information for those government and civilian programs tasked with improving GA safety in Alaska and the rest of the US

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in t... more This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for the contents thereof.

17th International Symposium on Aviation Psychology, May 6, 2013

Advanced technologies and automation are important facilitators of single pilot operations, but t... more Advanced technologies and automation are important facilitators of single pilot operations, but they also contribute to the workload management challenges faced by the pilot. We examined task completion, workload management, and automation use in an entry-level jet (ELJ) flown by single pilots. Thirteen certificated Cessna Citation Mustang (CE-510S) pilots flew an instrument flight rules (IFR) experimental flight in a Cessna Citation Mustang simulator. At one point, participants had to descend to meet a crossing restriction prior to a waypoint and prepare for an instrument approach into an un-towered field while facilitating communication from a lost pilot who was flying too low for air traffic control to hear. Four participants experienced some sort of difficulty with regard to meeting the crossing restriction, and almost half (n=6) had problems associated with the instrument approach. Additional errors were also observed, including eight participants landing at the airport with an incorrect altimeter setting. The advent of personal jets, such as entry-level jets (ELJs) and very-light jets (VLJs), has made a wider range of operations and missions available to private and professional pilots alike. Private pilots can now fly higher and faster than ever before, and commercial ventures such as air taxi operations and short charter flights are now more economical. The automation and advanced technology aboard these aircraft are essential features that make personal jet flight by single pilots possible. However, automation and advanced technology bring their own challenges. The design of glass cockpit systems currently used in these aircraft places a heavy cognitive load on the pilot in terms of long-term, working, and prospective memory; workload and concurrent task management; and developing correct mental models as to their functioning (e.g., Burian & Dismukes, 2007). These cognitive demands have a direct relationship to pilot errors committed during flight (Dismukes, Berman, & Loukopoulos, 2007). Burian (2007) found a significant correlation between workload and time management (i.e., poor crew and single-pilot resource management, which are abbreviated CRM and SRM, respectively) and problems using advanced avionics. Additionally, almost two-thirds of the accident reports Burian analyzed involved at least one of six different cognitive performance problems (e.g., memory problems). Workload management is a crucial aspect of SRM. Best practices for single-pilot flight task and workload management must be better understood within the current operating environment, and beyond, as we move to an era of optimizing the national airspace system outlined in NextGen concepts. In an exploratory simulation study, we examined private and professional pilot proficiency in single-pilot task and workload management using a level 5 flight training device (for simplification, a "simulator"). Participant task performance of one of the scripted high workload periods occurring during the cruise portion of an IFR flight, described below, is reviewed here. A detailed description of the entire study can be found in Burian et al. (2013). Method Thirteen certificated Cessna Citation Mustang (CE-510S) pilots flew an experimental flight, composed of two legs with realistic tasks in the U.S. northeast corridor, in a Cessna Citation Mustang simulator. Performance was evaluated against airline transport pilot and instrument rating practical test standard criteria (FAA, 2008, 2010), as well as the successful completion of the scripted tasks.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) distributed 48,900 Employee Attitude Surveys to its emp... more The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) distributed 48,900 Employee Attitude Surveys to its employees in September 2003; of those, 22,720 completed surveys were returned. About 38% (8,606) of the returned surveys contained typed or handwritten comments. A 33% random sample of commented surveys (2,860 surveys) across FAA lines of business and major organizations was selected for transcription and content coding. Of the total codes assigned, 12,703 (91%) were considered negative in tone, and 1,193 (9%) were positive. Comment categories (i.e., combined topics) and topics were chosen for presentation by rank-ordering codes for positive and negative comment categories/topics. The top 50% of positive comments included four categories/topics: confidence in leadership, satisfaction with job overall, commitment/loyalty to the FAA, and confidence in nonsupervisory employees. The top 50% of negative comments included 20 categories/topics. Of these, the categories/topics representing the highest proportion of negative comments were: confidence in leadership; morale; privatization/future contracting; understaffing; FAA policies, practices, and programs; encouraging hard work; management concern for employees; promotion equity; comments about the survey; and trust. The high number of negative comments included in this report should not compel the reader to conclude that employees were extremely dissatisfied overall. In fact, the quantitative reports of response frequencies to the closed-ended items on the survey revealed a variety of areas where most employees were satisfied. For a balanced view of employee feedback, consider the results from the quantitative reports along with employee comments from the survey.

PsycEXTRA Dataset, 1998

Currently, en route control of high altitude flights between airports uses computer-augmented rad... more Currently, en route control of high altitude flights between airports uses computer-augmented radar information available on the Plan View Display (PVD), Computer Readout Device (CRD), and flight information printed on Flight Progress Strips (FPSs), The FPS contains thirty-one fields that supplement data available on the PVD. While an aircraft is in a controller's sector, control instructions, changes to the flight plan, and other contacts with the aircraft are written on the corresponding strip. This report describes an experiment that compared the effects of using a standard-sized (1 5/16" x 8") FPS and an FPS reduced both in size (1" x 5") and information on the performance and workload of controller teams. The teams, from Minneapolis ARTCC, controlled simulated air traffic in a mixed radar-nonradar environment. Overall, the 1" x 5" reduced strip yielded deficits in the control of nonradar flights but not radar flights. This was evidenced in subject matter experts' evaluation of nonradar separation, strip processing and board management, and, to a marginal extent, in the efficiency of traffic movement through the sector. The radarside (R-side) controller's awareness was also rated lower when using the smaller strips. Interestingly, the controllers' evaluation of their own performance did not reflect a difference between smaller and normal-sized strips. This may help explain why controllers did not compensate for the smaller strips to any great extent. Only R-side controllers exhibited compensatory behaviors and reported increased workload. R-side controllers also pointed to the PVD more often. Although there was little compensatory activity, R-side Controllers thought workload was greater with smaller strips. R-side controllers also felt it was more effortful and more frustrating working with the 1" x 5" strips. Despite the self-reported heavier workload, controllers nevertheless were able to perform secondary tasks, such as granting pilot requests, as often and as quickly using smaller strips as they did using standard strips. This study also described specific air traffic activities likely to be affected by a reduction to a 1" x 5" FPS. Strip marking, speed of strip processing, and some aspects of board management seemed especially affected. Inferior strip marking was evidenced in the on-line expert evaluation and controllers often reported that the size of the 1" x 5" strip prevented writing. The ability to locate a particular strip and find the information on it seems to suffer with a reduction in size as tested in this study. On-line expert evaluations and controller opinions echoed this problem. Locating strips might have been especially difficult for the R-side, thus leading to large differences in self-reported frustration. Controllers also noted specific problems with the strip display, including the use of shading to replace information typically presented in red. Of board management responsibilities, considered by controllers as generally inferior with 1" x 5" strips, removal of deadwood seems less likely to be negatively affected by reduction in strip size. The on-line expert evaluation rated the 1" x 5" strips negatively and the subject matter experts recorded more negative comments about removal of deadwood under that condition. Overall, this study does not permit recommendation of the l"x 5" reduced strip as designed for this study. Suggestions for improving a less than standard size FPS are provided.

2005 International Symposium on Aviation Psychology, 2005

A team of subject matter experts (SMEs) observed tower air traffic controllers as they marked fli... more A team of subject matter experts (SMEs) observed tower air traffic controllers as they marked flight progress strips (FPSs) at ten facilities. SMEs tallied marks and actions controllers made at various positions during 332 twentyminute observation periods. During many of the observation periods, one or more marks or actions were targeted for interviews. The benefits controllers perceived from making the targeted mark or action varied across position. The findings from this study will help engineers preserve the functional benefits received from paper FPS when designing electronic FPSs.

AeroSafety world, Mar 1, 2008

2005 International Symposium on Aviation Psychology, 2005

17th International Symposium on Aviation Psychology, May 6, 2013

PsycEXTRA Dataset, 1998

2005 International Symposium on Aviation Psychology, 2005