Learning About Routine Successful Pilot Techniques Using A Cued Retrospective Think-Aloud Task

Self-report can be a valuable method for collecting data about people’s goals and perceived motivations – data about aspects of crew thinking that are not otherwise readily observable. One of the challenges associated with collecting self-report data on routine successful performance, however, is that details may go unreported, be deemed unimportant, or may not be recalled. We report a study in which commercial airline flight crews participated in a video-cued retrospective think aloud after flying a high-fidelity simulated arrival into Charlotte airport. One day after flying the simulated arrival, crews were shown a video recording of their flight. The video was paused after each minute, and crew members were each asked to describe what they were doing and thinking during that interval. Reported data analysis focused on aspects of performance that are often ambiguously described as “pilot technique” or “airmanship,” in an attempt to provide more detail around these types of behaviors.