Human Factors Aspects Of Upset-Recovery Training

Loss of control in flight was the largest category of fatal U.S. commercial air carrier accidents between 1994 and 2003.1 Loss-of-control accidents were also the leading cause of general aviation accidents in the United States in 2003,2and these accidents have been on the constant increase for all categories of flight in the United States for the past 25 years. Statistics from aviation accidents and incidents from around the world echo the same theme.3 In response to this issue, the Flight Research Training Center was established in 2002, in cooperation with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, to provide specific training for pilots dealing with upset events that could lead to loss of control. This multi-faceted upset-recovery training (URT) program incorporates state-of-the-art in-flight simulation technologies allowing a Learjet to simulate the flight characteristics of other types of aircraft. This paper will discuss (a) a model representing the cognitive process of surprise, (b) how an unexpected event can escalate to a loss-of-control situation and (c) an upset-recovery training program which addresses specific aspects of the model critical to a pilot\u27s successful response to an unexpected event. Relevant loss-of-control accidents from around the world will be reviewed, and practical applications of upset-recovery techniques will be presented with a focus on human factors aspects of the unexpected.]