NTL Record

Title An Analysis of TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control) Controller-Pilot Voice Communication
Record ID 33636
Personal Name
Creator
Cardosi, K. M.; Brett, B.; Han, S.
Source 36p. in various pagings
Corporate Creator John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)
Corporate
Contributor
Science Applications International Corporation; EG & G Dynatrend
Publisher United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration
Publication Date 19960600
Language English
Abstract The purpose of this analysis was to examine pilot-controller communication practices in the TRACONI (Terminal Radar Approach Control) environment. Forty-eight hours of communications recorded on the voice tapes from eight TRACONs were analyzed. There were 13,089 controller-to-pilot transmissions examined in this study. This included 9,409 clearances (e.g., assignment of altitude; instructions to change heading, speed, or radio frequencies; instructions for arrival, etc.) And 3,680 requests for information, salutations, etc. The complexity of the controller's message (i.e.. the number of pieces of information) was examined and the number of erroneous readbacks were analyzed as a function of message complexity. Pilot acknowledgments were also analyzed; the numbers of full and partial readbacks, and acknowledgments only (i.e., "rogei") were tallied. Pilot reports of altitude information was also examined. Fewer than one percent of the messages resulted in communications errors. Among the error factors examined were: complexity of the message, type of acknowledgment, use of call sign in the acknowledgment, 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 errors.
Rosap ID dot:8711
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/8711
TRT Terms Air pilots; Errors; Performance measurement; Human factors; Voice communication; Air traffic controllers
General Subjects Controller-pilot communications; TRACON
Classification NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - SAFETY AND SECURITY;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Human Factors
Geographical
Coverage
United States
TRIS Online
Accession No
1207225
Contract Number FA6L1/A6112
Report Number DOT-VNTSC-FAA-96-7; DOT/FAA/AR-96/66
Availability Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference Center
Resource type Tech Report
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/33000/33600/33636/33636.pdf
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository