Simulating the Unexpected: Challenge-Centric Simulator Scenario Design for Advanced Flight Crew Training

Abstract

In 2013 the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) published a report on the implementation of Evidence-Based Training (EBT). EBT aims at improving the overall capabilities of a pilot trainee in certain competencies such as decision-making, communication, situational awareness and others. This results in a shift in training focus from maneuvers to the training of competencies, which in turn sets different requirements for the desired simulator training scenarios. This paper presents a training scenario design approach being driven by the expected impact on the crew rather than focusing on specific maneuvers or system failures. The so-called "Challenge-Centric" design approach was applied in the EU project Man4Gen. It forms the basis for the development of a scenario design kit that shall facilitate the design of training scenarios for Evidence-based Training. A. The Need for Competency-Based TrainingFor many decades full flight simulators have proven to be a powerful tool for training flight crews in airline operations. This is true for the training of specific basic flying skills, the handling of particular system failures as well as the training of decision-making and problem solving processes in a complex operationally relevant scenario. In the early days of simulator training, each scenario was intended to train certain anticipated events and failures, often referred to as Maneuver-Based Training (MBT). This training is still necessary to properly prepare flight crews for critical events that must be recognized rapidly. That is why it was set as regulatory standard. However, as aircraft and operations become increasingly complex, recent accidents and incidents are showing that crews are having difficulty with a different type of challenge in the cockpit: managing unexpected, complex and ambiguous situations. Examples of such cases are Qantas 32 [1] and Air Asia 8501 [2].Maneuver-based Training does not necessarily prepare flight crews well for these new challenges. In addition, the relevancy of certain scenario elements required by the regulators has changed due to the evolution of modern aircraft and their component reliability. This led to the development of Evidence-based Training by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Training and Qualification Initiative as defined in the ICAO Document 9995 "Manual of Evidence-based Training" [3]. EBT aims at improving the overall capabilities of a pilot trainee in certain competencies such as decision-making, communication, situational awareness and others. This results in a shift in training focus from maneuvers, to the training of competencies, which in turn sets different requirements for the desired simulator training scenarios. Inherent to scenarios which trigger specific competencies is that they are unfamiliar and pose the crew with a novel situation in which they can practice (or demonstrate) their competencies without being able to have memorized the exact solution for that scenario. The major challenge lies in making several scenarios ...

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