From Crew Communication to Coordination: A Fundamental Means to an End

11 Pages·1998·0.42 MB·English

by  Kanki, Barbara G

Royal Aeronautical Society Human Factors Group
Communication & Coordination: How Good is theTeam?
London Gatwick Airport, CAA Aviation House
September 23, 1998
From Crew Communication to
Co-ordination: A Fundamental
Means to an End
Barbara G.Kanki
NASA Ames Research Center
MS 262-4, Moffett Field, CA 94035
bkanki@ mail.arc.nasa.gov
Agenda
• • What does Communication Accomplish?
• How are Communication Skills Used?
• Evaluating Crew Communication
• in investigation
• in research
• in training
• Lessons Learned & Unresolved Issues
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Communication
•.. which support
accomplishes•.. outcomes
• Information transfer
Technical task
• Team/task
i performance
management
• Shared problem
solving & decision
making
Establishment of the
Work/team atmosp_ _
interpersonal climate
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What does communication accomplish?
Information Transfer
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What does communication accomplish?
Team/task Management
Teams/tasks are managed through communicatiom =_i
t_
-+ Standard operating procedures i_
-* Planning, briefing, monitoring i!
-_ Maintaining situation awareness, task attention
-t Setting task priorities, distribution of workload
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What does communication accomplish?
Problem Solving & Decision Making
. 'Communication facilitates shared problem solving
-t Problem recognition .
Problem identification ,_
-* Decision making
-, Critique & resolution
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What does communication accomplish?
Interpersonal "Climate"
Communication establishes:
-, Predictability, resource availability
4,work preferences, attitudes
4,com_te_skm l_v_
-, the tone"
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How are Communication Skills Used?
, Communication is a multipurpose tool
which supports team performance
4,Technical task
4,CRM
4,Procedures & ATC
4,Work/team atmosphere
• Specific speech acts must be interpreted
within the contexts in which they occur
4,Physical Context
4,Social & Organizational Context
4,Task & Operational Context
4.Speech & Linguistic Context
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How are Communication Skills Used?
Physical Context
• Aircraft states Environment states
-* On the ground vs. inflight Weather, noise, light,
Automation mode day/night
-_ Normal vs. abnormal -_ Airspace location, traffic,
terminal area
• Communication network
-* Remote, face-to-face, media availability
Speech acts are interpreted within a physical context.
When speaking face-to-face, speech is often abbreviated
because the communicators share the same situation.
Similarly, daylight and good visibility conditions may
require less explicit referencing.
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How are Communication Skills Used?
Social & Organizational Context
• Communicators • Crew composition
4 Within Cockpit •.*Experience, skill
-_ Pilot - ATC -_ Familiarity, diversity
-t Pilot - Dispatch/Mx • Roles and authority
-* Cockpit - Cabin -* Captain -First Officer
-* ATC, cabin, others
Speech acts are interpreted within a social/org, context
Some speech patterns are strongly linked to the CA-FO
authority structure (e.g., command-acknowledgement).
Deviations may indicate imbalance in crew composition or
simply a required deviation from normal operations.
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How are Communication Skills Used?
Task & Operational Context
Phase of flight & • Normal vs. non-
procedural context normal operations
Taxi, Takeoff, Cruise -_ Routine adjustments
Approach, Landing -* lnflight problems
Speech acts are interpreted within a task/operational context
Under non-normal conditions, communications which
deviate from SOP's may be required for re-adjusting
priorities and workload. Under normal conditions, the same
deviations may indicate non standard practices.
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How are Communication Skills Used?
Speech & Linguistic Context
• Individual styles • Speech Act patterns
-_ Formality Question - Answer
-t Communication rate -* Command-Acknowledgement
-* Statement -Verification
• Grammatical patterns
-t Instruction - Readback
-_ Completed statements
-, Readback - Hcarback
-, Non-standard English
Speech acts are interpreted within a speech/linguistic context
Deviations from expected sequences may indicate:
- non-response, inattention, pre-occupation
- incomplete or interrupted communication
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Evaluating Crew Communication
Investigation Research
4 Case study -_ Experiment groups compared
-* Focus on causal and Factors of interest designed
contributing factors into the scenario
No scenario control -t Many factors controlled &
-* 100% validity manipulated / support staff
--t Operational realism limited
Training
-t Training crew members, evaluating individuals
-* Performance requirements embedded into scenario
A few factors controlled & manipulated /limited staff
-_ Operational realism limited
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Evaluating Crew Communication
in Investigation
Speech Act Indicators ............ of crew performance;
contributing factors
Task-related speech acts
4.Emergency problem solving Response to the
4.ATC, routine and non-routine emergency, problem
Procedural speech acts solving
4.Adherence to regulations &
company procedures Adherence to procedures
Non-task related speech acts
Cockpit atmosphere,
4.Evidence of conflict, tension
interpersonal climate
4.Attention to task, situation
awareness
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Investigation Example
NTSB-CVR transcript CA. FO. ATC (Center, Approach)
.30.5 min. routine flight, 25 sec. emergency CA on radio. FO ptlo! flying
Task related speech acts o Request for ATC/ATIS infor-
o Indicator of cooperative crew mation followed by imm. response
coordination during routine flight FO-> CA 5instances
CA-> FO 1instance
• Indicator of inadequate
problem solving during 25 sec. ® Joint recognition of problem,
to resolve emergency but no identification of problem
or stated plan within 25 seconds
Procedural speech
®Indicator of general adherence • Adherence to SOP (checklists
to procedures and ATC protocol & ATC)
Nontask-related speech
® Appropriate social conversa-
o Indicator of normal cockpit tion/responsiveness, return to
atmosphere task speech when appropriate
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Evaluating Crew Communication
in Research
Speech Act Indicators .......... of crew performance;
differences across
Speech acts totals & ratio's
experiment conditions
Speech act sequences
_. question - answer Crew coordination
command - acknowledgment
strategies
Dysfluencies
_. incomplete speech Workload and workload
_. interrupted speech distribution
_- repetitions
Roles and procedures
Non-verbal acts
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Research Example
Full mission simulation Low vs. High level of automation CA = pilot flying
12 DC-9 crews. 10 MDgg crews Normal and abnormal flight conditions FO = pilot not flying
O In the MD88 scenario
Speech acts totals,
-_ more total speech acts
ratios and sequences
-t more CA questions
(question -answer )
,¢.seekinformation(vs.verify)
o Indicator of inform-
uvtgatlon&sTstems(vs.
ation access and
procedures)
relevance to problem
•_ morequ_ unauswe_d
Non-verbal acts
(with visual access)
• _I._the MD88 scenario
• Indicator of changes in
•._ CA =FO systmM a¢_
work roles, workload
-. CA >F_ navigation acts
Traditionally, CA >FO systems acts
FO > CA navigation acts
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Evaluating Crew Communication
in Training
Speech Act Indicators ............. of crew performance;
individual evaluation
Information transfer
Discuss flight conditions
Technical training
Team/task management
objectives
Set priorities, state plans &
intentions, distribute work
CRM training objectives
Shared problem solving & d-m
State decisions, course of action Adherence to
Establish interpersonal climate procedures
_. Solicit feedback & participation
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Training Example
LOE Event Set Pre*departur¢ through beginning of takeoff lAD ATIS 134.85
Event trigger = consideration orsummer operations, low visibility, abnormal engine _tarL pos_ible windshtmr
Conditions: Aborted engine start. Congested ramps and taxiways inInw visibility on taxi out
Ratings of pre-defined
observable speech acts Within Event Set 1,
o Indicator of primary o Crew discussion of complex
CRM element, team departure partially observed
management @ ABOVE AVERAGE crew
• Indicator of quality of discussion of summer ops SOP
technical and CRM
• CA completed STANDARD
performance pre-flight briefing
Description of additional • PF snalyzed takeoff WX and
relevant speech acts requested takeoff alternate
• PNF verified PF intentions
® Indicator of secondary
CRM elements prior to taxi start
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Designing Scenario Event Sets
Interpretation and evaluation of communication is
aided by designing and controlling the speech contexts
* Physical • Task & Operational
--_Consistent, realistic A/C and Appropriate flight phases
environment conditions and and procedures
consequences Realistic normal & non-
-* Realistic communication normal conditions sur-
media rounding "event triggers"
"distracters" and
* Social & Organizational
supporting events
Consistent roles and
• Speech & Linguistic
responsibilities
Incorporation of commun- -.t Appropriate interactive
context for communicators
ication network as needed
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