An Analysis of En Route Controller-Pilot Voice Communications
Abstract
The purpose 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 clearance (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.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA264784
Entities
People
- Kim M. Cardosi
Organizations
- John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center