The Impact of Increased Dependence on Aviation Automation on Pilot Performance

In the modern aviation environment, automation technology has greatly improved safety and operational efficiency. However in major aircraft accidents, it has been repeatedly confirmed that increased reliance on automation is a new type of risk factor. This study focused on several transportation aircraft accidents which are evaluated as representative accidents related to automation, and compared and analyzed the direct and indirect effects of mode recognition failure, manual flying skill gradation, loss of situational awareness (SA), and weakened crew resource management (CRM). Those issues are the key motivation for international regulatory agencies such as ICAO, FAA, and EASA to adopt competency-based training (CBT) and evidence-based training (EBT), including upset upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT), automation error response training, and manual flight enhancement. This study aims to derive common patterns in the areas of automation design, pilot training, and human factors.