Development of a theoretical model of pilot decision making with conflicting information

Abstract

The advancement of technology on the modern commercial flight deck has allowed flight crew members to utilise multiple sources of information to maintain the safety of their flight. Having multiple sources of flight deck information, capable of displaying the same type of information, can lead to a situation in which a pilot encounters conflicting information. Understanding how a pilot makes a decision when faced with an information conflict on the flight deck is important to ensure appropriate design of flight-deck information systems and effective pilot training. This effort utilised data collected from 25 airline pilots who experienced information conflicts on a simulated B-737 flight deck, in conjunction with a theoretical review of how information conflicts impact decision making, to develop a theoretical model of pilot decision-making in the presence of an information conflict. This manuscript describes the model, along with the theory-driven and data-driven approaches utilised to develop the model.