Analysis of Voice Communication in a Simulated Approach Control Environment

摘要

This report consists of an analysis of simulated terminal radar approach control (TRACON) air traffic control communications. Twenty-four full performance level air traffic controllers (FPLATC) from 2 TRACON facilities participated in the simulation study. Each controller worked 2 light- and 2 heavy-traffic density scenarios for feeder and final sectors. All communications were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim by a retired FPLATC. Once transcribed, transmissions were parsed into communication elements. Each communication element was assigned a speech act category (e.g., address, instruction, request, or advisory), an aviation topic (e.g., altitude, heading, speed) and then coded for irregularities (e.g., grouping numbers together when they should be spoken sequentially, or omitting, substituting, or adding words contrary to required phraseology) (ATSAT, Prinzo et al., 1995). The simulated communications were compared to an analysis performed on audiotapes from the same TRACON facilities. Percentages in 3 speech act categories were comparable (Instruction, 55% versus 51%; Address; 14% versus 26%; Advisory, 24% versus 18%) . Detailed analyses revealed that, although there were fewer irregular communications produced during simulation, the distributions of those communication irregularities were very much the same, with the exception of aircraft call sign. The differences in those distributions were attributed to the voice recognition system; it could not recognize a call sign spoken sequentially and then restated in grouped form.