Understanding the Human Component of Area Navigation Procedures Across the National Airspace System

摘要

The FAA intends to considerably increase the usage of area navigation (RNAV) approach anddeparture procedures in order to achieve the proposed NextGen goals for improved efficiency andcapacity. RNAV procedures enable aircraft to have better access and flexibility for point-to-pointoperations. In an effort to better understand the potential impact of increased RNAV usage, a humanfactors safety assessment was conducted to identify the key human factors issues present in currentRNAV operations. An analysis of 100 RNAV narrative-based safety reports from the Air TrafficSafety Action Program (ATSAP) and 68 narrative-based safety reports from the Aviation SafetyReporting System (ASRS) was conducted to identify key causal factors. The analysis found severalkey causal factors related to RNAV procedure design, controller-pilot communication, automationsystems, and track deviations. Specific human performance concerns and mitigation strategies foreach causal factor were developed. These results should drive future requirements associated with theimplementation of future RNAV procedures.