Preliminary Validation of a Readiness-to-Fly Assessment Tool for Use in Naval Aviation

Abstract : Fatigue is the most frequently cited physiological factor contributing to the occurrence of US Naval Aviation Class A flight mishaps. Accordingly, the Naval Safety Center (NSC) has identified the need for a quickly-administered individualized fatigue assessment tool to determine a pilot or aircrew member's readiness to fly. The Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory conducted validation research on Flight Fit -- a series of computer administered cognitive tasks sensitive to fatigue, and PMI FIT 2000 -- a physiological test of oculometric properties linked to fatigue, for their potential to serve as individualized fatigue detection tools. Performance on both assessments was observed in concordance with performance on a suite of industry standard fatigue-sensitive measures (e.g., the Psychomotor Vigilance Test) at regular intervals over 25 hours of continual wakefulness in naval aviators. Results indicate significant group and individual differences related to fatigue for several aspects of both measures, and suggest that with appropriate adjustments, both Flight Fit and PMI FIT 2000 could serve as valid real-time readiness-to-fly assessment tools in Naval Aviation squadrons. Follow-on studies to determine the exact nature of these adjustments and usability of the tools in their current form are discussed.

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