Lei Wang’s research while affiliated with Civil Aviation University of China and other places

Most human-caused flight accidents can be attributed to a pilot’s attention deficit and monitoring errors. Accordingly, pilots’ attention allocation is strongly related to their task performance. This study is aimed at analyzing pilots’ fixation characteristics and attention-allocation levels. First, we proposed a model for measuring attention-allocation level based on the salience, effort, expectancy, and value (SEEV) model. Second, a low-fidelity single-pilot operation (SPO) cockpit environment was constructed, and 20 pilots were recruited for an experiment to compare their fixation characteristics between SPO and double-pilot operation (DPO) scenarios. The results showed slight differences in the attention levels allocated by SPO and DPO pilots under a scenario of one-engine failure. It concluded that Human-centered flight deck design can enhance a pilot’s attention allocation level. These findings can be used to optimize future flight deck designing and flight training for improving pilot’s task performance.

The visual approach is the most accident-prone phase of a flight, especially in low-visibility conditions. This preliminary study aimed to examine the effects of flight experience on pilots' decision-making and visual scanning pattern in low-visibility approaches. Twenty pilots were separated into two groups based on their flight experience and completed the high- and low-visibility approaches in balanced order using a high-fidelity flight simulator. Pilots' mental workload and visual scanning patterns were recorded via an eye tracker. The results showed that, compared to less flight-experienced pilots (20%, 3/15), experienced pilots (80%, 4/5) were more likely to make go-around decisions in the low-visibility approaches. Furthermore, they exhibited a more flexible and adaptable visual scanning pattern by quickly shifting their attention, as evidenced by decreased fixations and increased saccades. These findings suggest that the integration of visual scanning strategy and training solution with a marginally meteorological approach may enhance decision-making safety for novice pilots.

Different from the traditional safety concept, to make sure things go right is described as Safety-II, which has been used widely in many industries. To describe pilots’ stable attitudes and behaviors exhibited by pilots toward flight activities, the definition of flight safety style was proposed. With the aim to quantitatively evaluate airline pilots’ flight safety style, a method applying multidimensional data based on the Safety-II theory was proposed. First, based on the literature review, we proposed the definition, intension, and extension of pilots’ flight safety style. Second, we analyzed and compared the advantages and disadvantages of different evaluation methods for flight safety attitudes, flight safety behaviors as well as flight safety style. Third, based on the Safety-II theory, we proposed and characterized a quantitative evaluation framework applying multi-source data at implicit and explicit levels, including pilots’ hazardous attitudes, operation behaviors, and non-operation behaviors. Finally, we constructed a mathematical model, and thus pilots’ flight safety style scores can be calculated and ranked. The collected data were applied to give a case study to validate the method by performing an analysis based on the Safety-II theory. This study shows a data-driven method for the pilots’ flight safety style quantitative evaluation based on Safety-II, which can be used to find out the data described as ‘as many things as possible go right (Safety-II)’ to advance Evidence-based Training (EBT) of flight safety style. It also provides airlines with a more reasonable way to evaluate pilots’ flight safety style quantitatively, and further improve flight safety.KeywordsFlight Safety StyleSafety-IIFlight SafetyFlight Safety Style Evaluation

Aircraft tail strike is an unsafe event that usually occurs during takeoff, landing, and go-around. The majority of related studies only focus on incident investigation reports for analyzing causation, while few examine the risk of human factors in combination with QAR data. The purpose of this study is to investigate the risk of human factors in landing tail-strike. Based on 39 incident investigation reports and expert evaluations, the most influential factor in tail strikes during landing was determined. The QAR data of 291,000 flight sectors of an airline was then used to extract and analyze the samples related to influential factors. The results showed that improper pitch attitude always leads to tail strikes during landing. The large pitch angle in landing was classified into three types including continuously incremental pitch angle value, consistently high pitch angle value, and unstable pitch angle value. Roughly manipulating the stick before touchdown and continuously over-manipulating the stick after grounding contributes to the increased pitch angle after grounding, while the causes of bounced landing are belatedly setting the spoiler and intensely operating the stick before touchdown. These findings are expected to help airlines to identify and reduce the human risk from aircraft tail strikes and improve the efficiency of flight training.Keywordsflight safetyhuman factorstail strikeQAR datapitch attitude

Like most drivers have their own driving styles, commercial airline pilots also have their own flying styles, referring to a set of individual flying habits that gradually formed with their flying experience. However, little is known about flying style that might affect flight safety. This study aims to develop a framework for evaluating pilots’ flying style. Our original evaluation framework was derived from the “Manual of Evidence-based Training” issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (Doc 9995), which outlines eight competencies of commercial airline pilots for observation and evaluation by flight instructors. Furthermore, in the next step, the initial framework can be developed by interviewing evidence-based training (EBT) flight instructors and applying new technologies (e.g., eye-tracking technology and physiological measuring technology). Using the initial framework for flying style, we can evaluate pilots’ preferences for flying. In this regard, it is useful for a variety of purposes, including understanding the operational characteristics of pilots, improving flight training, and crew paring in a more rational way.KeywordsFlying StyleCore CompetencyFlight SafetyEvidence-based Training (EBT)