Refresher Training for Air Traffic Controllers: Is It Adequate to Meet the Challenges of Emergencies and Abnormal Situations?

An observational field study was carried out to examine the degree that refresher training in air traffic control can account for the demands of real-world emergencies. The refresher-training exercises of 21 teams of en route controllers were observed and a number of real incidents were analyzed at a major European Area Control Centre. Expert controllers were observed handling 53 simulated emergencies and abnormal situations during their annual refresher training and their companion team resource management course. The training curriculum was found to be technically oriented. Responding to emergencies was practiced in scenarios less representative of real situations where the controllers do their job in the context of many interruptions, flight crew deviations, and unrecovered errors. Results indicated a substantial gap between formal training requirements and operational demands. An advanced safety training course is proposed on the basis of cognitive task analysis to increase the cognitive fidelity of simulations and focus on cultivating taskwork and teamwork skills.

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