General Aviation Pilot Performance Following Unannounced In-Flight Loss of Vacuum System and Associated Instruments in Simulated Instrument Meteorological Conditions
Abstract
Forty-one instrument-rated pilots were exposed to an unannounced failure of attitude and heading instrumentation during flight in single-engine general aviation aircraft: 25 in a Piper Archer PA-28 and 16 in a Beechcraft Bonanza A36. The PA-28 flights consisted of three groups: (1) Group A - a failure of the attitude indicator (Al) and directional gyro (DG), (2) Group B - same as Group A but received 30 minutes of partial-panel instruction in a personal-computer-based aviation training device (PCATD) prior to the flight, and (3) Group C - same as group A but had a failure-annunciator light (vacuum) on the panel. The A36 flights consisted of two groups: (1) Group A - a failure of the Al only, (2) Group B - a failure of the Al and the horizontal situation indicator (HSI). All of the PA-28 pilots maintained control of the aircraft, and 68 percent of them flew successful partial-panel approaches, and likely would have survived if it had been an actual emergency. However, 25 percent of the Bonanza pilots could not maintain control, and the evaluator had to assume control of the aircraft. Use of the PCATD prior to the data flight reduced the time required to recognize a failure while airborne (mean A&C = 7.6 min., mean for B = 4.9 min.), but there were no other observed differences in performance between the Archer groups. Recommendations are presented regarding both training and instrumentation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA408027
Entities
People
- Dennis B. Beringer
- Kathleen M. Roy