Factors influencing team performance in the flight deck

Abstract

The safe completion of a Part 121 regional airline flight requires that two pilots form a cohesive flight deck team. Aircraft are becoming more complex, and these advanced flight decks intersect with the emerging trend of today's regional airline crews exhibiting less experience due to factors such as high turnover within regional airlines and a shrinking pilot applicant pool from which to draw new hires. How well a less experienced crew identifies and mitigates threats posed by the human-machine interface is a measure of their overall performance. In addition, pilot performance relative to interaction with glass cockpit technology is influenced by overall Team Situation Awareness. Humans and machines do not always interact at an optimal level, and this report reviews literature to understand how Mutual Performance Monitoring, Crew Resource Management (CRM), and the formation of Shared Mental Models affect Team Situation Awareness and performance in a regional airline flight deck.