Alcohol use by aircraft pilots is a continuing matter of concern. A substantial number of aircraft accidents have been found to be alcohol related, and many other such accidents may have escaped detection. While the dangers of piloting an aircraft while intoxicated are obvious to most, there is relatively little data available and less agreement concerning the effects of moderate and low blood alcohol levels on pilot performance. This research program has as its objectives the analysis of the processes involved in alcohol impairment of pilot performance at low and moderate alcohol levels, and the dissemination of such information to the scientific and aviation communities. A computer interfaced flight simulator will be used to examine pilot performance under various flight conditions and task load demands. Past work on this project has demonstrated that a low (.04%) blood alcohol concentration (BAC) can affect relatively simple flight tasks. The largest and most serious effects, however, are found when divided attention is required and the pilot most cope with multiple task demands. To investigate such situations, research will use simulator flight scenarios to investigate the effects of low BAC values on pilot performance in critical situations where 1) visual orientation is lost, 2) the aircraft is placed in unusual attitudes where the proper control inputs are essential, 3) conflicting air-traffic appears, or 4) emergencies involving various system failures occur. Other scenarios to be employed involved decision making where several courses of action are possible with differing safety implications. Interest is in the effects of alcohol on decision making processes. Increased susceptability to distraction as a function of BAC also is to be studied by examining the effects of interpolating distracting instructions or tasks while the pilot is carrying out check-list and other duties. The effects of alcohol on susceptibility to disorientation is also to be investigated. Further development of multiattribute performance models for use in evaluating alcohol's effects on simulator flight performance is also planned. A final line of investigation concerns the interaction of pilot boredom and/or fatigue with the factors discussed above. The objective of these studies is to determine if alcohol's effects, and interactions with other factors, are greater after several hours of simulator flight, a situation more comparable to many actual flying situations.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01AA006093-05
Application #
3109328
Study Section
Alcohol Psychosocial Research Review Committee (ALCP)
Project Start
1983-09-29
Project End
1991-08-31
Budget Start
1988-09-01
Budget End
1989-08-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
1988
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Wisconsin Madison
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
161202122
City
Madison
State
WI
Country
United States
Zip Code
53715
Mughni, W N; Ross, L E (1996) Alcohol and workload as factors affecting the detection of angular acceleration. Aviat Space Environ Med 67:1148-51
Ross, S M; Ross, L E (1995) Professional pilots' views of alcohol use in aviation and the effectiveness of employee-assistance programs. Int J Aviat Psychol 5:199-214
Ross, L E; Mughni, W N (1995) Effect of alcohol on the threshold for detecting angular acceleration. Aviat Space Environ Med 66:635-40
Ross, L E; Ross, S M (1992) Professional pilots' evaluation of the extent, causes, and reduction of alcohol use in aviation. Aviat Space Environ Med 63:805-8
Ross, L E; Yeazel, L M; Chau, A W (1992) Pilot performance with blood alcohol concentrations below 0.04%. Aviat Space Environ Med 63:951-6
Ross, S M; Ross, L E (1990) Pilots' knowledge of blood alcohol levels and the 0.04% blood alcohol concentration rule. Aviat Space Environ Med 61:412-7
Ross, L E; Mundt, J C (1988) Multiattribute modeling analysis of the effects of a low blood alcohol level on pilot performance. Hum Factors 30:293-304
Ross, L E; Ross, S M (1988) Pilots' attitudes toward alcohol use and flying. Aviat Space Environ Med 59:913-9
Ross, S M; Ross, L E (1987) Children's and adults' predictive saccades to square-wave targets. Vision Res 27:2177-80