Aviation
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Risk to the pilot
Study shows that crew members underestimate problems involved in flying under psychological stress
Cirrus SR22
Os pilotos não consideram o estresse psicológico um fator de risco
By Bob Adams from Amanzimtoti, South Africa - Cirrus SR22 ZS-CPB (2), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Rafael Ramos
5/4/2021
A study published in the journal Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors showed that pilots do not consider stress levels as a risk when riding comparable to other factors, such as bad weather. The Aberdeen University study shows that stress can compromise pilots' performance.
Cessna 182D Skylane cockpit
Olga Ernst, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In particular, GA - General Aviation, a category of flights performed on light aircraft and aimed at recreation or business, but, unlike commercial flights, the pilot usually flies alone. Therefore, the safety of the pilot's individual is very important.
The tests were carried out with 101 pilots in 12 different takeoff scenarios and four categories - compromised performance (stressed, tired or sick pilot), environmental risks (storm, ice, wind), defective equipment (power, noise, airspeed indicator) ) and missing equipment (checklist, sunglasses, seat belt).
The pilots were asked how they would proceed in each scenario and explain why.
The results show that the pilots were aware of the risk of flying sick or tired, but that they considered flying a stress-relieving activity. Therefore, they were less likely to cancel the flight due to psychological stress. Although regulators indicate that stress can impair flight performance, and GA pilots are concerned about safety, they do not consider all risks to be equally worrying. Therefore, it is important to highlight the impact of stress on flight safety to encourage them to consider the risks of flying under stress, according to what Dr Amy Irwin, the study's leader, says.
In the words of Dr. Irwin: “The more we know about how and why GA pilots make decisions and manage risks, the better we will be able to develop interventions and training solutions to improve safety. Based on our research, it seems apparent that training on the impact of stress on cognition and performance would be useful, along with training in assessing the situation and the validity of various risk mitigation strategies. ”
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Rafael Ramos
Aviation enthusiast from an early age, he had his first contacts with the area developing that good old habit of spending dozens of hours in front of the screens of Micrsoft Flight Simulator and other simulators. With a solid background in various technological areas, including engineering and chemistry, Rafael has rejoined aviation as editor and author of articles and materials on our portal, providing invaluable help to the dynamics and expansion of the website and the aeronautical community, bringing us the news and updates so indispensable for us to remain current in our area of operation.
   
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