NTL Record

Title An Analysis of En Route Controller-Pilot Voice Communications
Record ID 33520
Personal Name
Creator
Cardosi, K. M.
Source 30p. in various pagings
Corporate Creator John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)
Publisher United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration
Publication Date 19930300
Language English
Abstract The purposes of this analysis were to examine current pilot-controller communication practices in the en route environment. Forty-eight hours of voice tapes from eight different Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs) were examined. There were 5,032 controller-to-pilot transmissions and 3,576 clearances (e.g., instructions to maneuver or change radio frequencies, routing changes, etc.) In this sample. The complexity of the clearances (I.e., the number of pieces of information) was examined and the number of erroneous readbacks and pilot requests for repeats were analyzed as a function of clearance complexity. Pilot acknowledgements were also analyzed; the numbers of full and partial readbacks, and acknowledgements only (i.e., "roger") were tallied. Fewer than one percent of the clearances resulted in communications errors. Among the error factors examined were: complexity of the clearance, type of acknowledgement, use of call sign In the acknowledgement, type of information in error, and whether or not the controller responded to the readback error. Instances in which the controller contacted the aircraft with one call sign and the pilot acknowledged the transmission with another call sign were also examined. The report concludes with recommendations to further reduce the probability of communication problems.
Rosap ID dot:8659
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/8659
TRT Terms Air traffic control; Air traffic controllers; Air transportation; Communication systems; Airplanes
General Subjects Pilot-Controller Communications
Classification NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - SAFETY AND SECURITY;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Human Factors
Geographical
Coverage
United States
Contract Number FA3L1/A3021
Report Number DOT-VNTSC-FAA-93-2; DOT/FAA/RD-93/11
Availability Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference Center
Resource type Tech Report
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/33000/33500/33520/33520.pdf
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository