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Effects of alcohol on pilot performance in simulated flight
C E Billings1, T Demosthenes, T R White
1Aerospace Human Factors Research Division and Human Research Facility, NASA-Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA 94035.
Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine
|March 1, 1991
Summary
Even low levels of ethyl alcohol (0.025%) impaired pilot performance, increasing serious errors in simulated flights. Higher blood alcohol levels significantly worsened total errors, procedural errors, and vigilance failures.
Area of Science:
- Aviation Psychology
- Human Factors in Aviation
- Aerospace Medicine
Background:
- Ethyl alcohol is known to impair cognitive and psychomotor functions.
- Assessing pilot performance objectively is crucial for aviation safety.
- Previous research indicates alcohol's negative impact on complex task performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate objective methods for assessing pilot performance under the influence of ethyl alcohol.
- To quantify the impact of varying blood alcohol levels on specific pilot error types.
Main Methods:
- Four commercial pilots participated in simulated Boeing 727-232 flights.
- Flights were conducted at four target blood alcohol concentrations: 0, 0.025%, 0.050%, and 0.075%.
- Pilot errors were meticulously recorded through direct observation and videotape analysis in a simulated air traffic control environment.
Main Results:
- Total pilot errors increased linearly with rising blood alcohol levels.
- Significant increases in planning, performance, procedural errors, and vigilance failures were observed.
- Serious errors escalated significantly even at the lowest tested alcohol level (0.025%).
- Crew coordination failures did not correlate with blood alcohol concentration.
Conclusions:
- Ethyl alcohol reliably impairs pilot performance, even at low concentrations.
- Objective assessment methods can detect performance decrements caused by alcohol.
- Even minimal blood alcohol levels pose a significant risk to aviation safety.