Abstract
We analyzed samples of aircraft track data involving conflict alerts and subsequent resolution maneuvers from five U.S. air route traffic control centers. Vertical conflict resolution maneuvers were used in the majority of the cases examined. Within the vertical dimension, reductions of current vertical change (climb or descent) were collectively the most frequent resolution maneuver type, but descents were about three times as frequent as climbs. Three contingency analyses were performed to test for independence between conflict geometries and subsequent resolution maneuvers. The results show that conflict resolution maneuvers do not seem to be independent from conflict geometries. Additional analyses on conflict angles and vertical speed differences between aircraft as continuous variables revealed disproportionately fewer turns on crossing courses than on opposite or same courses. These results provide critical baseline information for understanding just how large departures from the current ingrained practices the advent of the NextGen air traffic management infrastructure may bring about, particularly in extremely safety-critical tasks such as airborne conflict resolutions. Pilots' conflict resolution maneuver preferences have received some attention, but corresponding research on air traffic controllers' practices is almost nonexistent. Moreover, our results emerged from objective data through objective analyses. To our knowledge, this is the first time analyses like these have been applied to data like these.
Published Version
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