The Role of Situational Factors and Display Cues on Collision Detection and Avoidance Using a Terrain Enhanced Primary Flight Display

Abstract

The present research examines situation factors and display cues that contribute to the effectiveness of using a terrain enhanced primary flight display (TE-PFD) for detecting and avoiding potential Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) accidents. Specifically, the relative importance of the terrain distance, altitude, and presence of an artificial horizon line were investigated. One of the crucial features of the TE-PFD is the inclusion of an artificial horizon line in addition to the natural horizon line provided by the terrain. The present research compared collision detection and avoidance decisions using a TE-PFD both with and without an artificial horizon line. Performance was assessed using the signal detection theory (SDT) parameters of sensitivity and response bias as well as the more traditional analysis of RT. Results indicated that removal of the artificial horizon line not only reduced the perceptual ease in detecting collisions but also altered the decision criterion used to make a collision avoidance response.