Human Factors & Situational Awareness Flashcards

What does 'situational awareness' mean in the context of drone operations?

Answer: Understanding what is happening around the drone, its current status, and what may happen next

Situational awareness encompasses perceiving environmental elements, understanding their meaning, and anticipating future states in order to make safe decisions.

Which cognitive bias describes a pilot's tendency to continue a risky flight because they have already invested significant time and effort in planning it?

Answer: Sunk cost fallacy

The sunk cost fallacy causes pilots to continue with a mission because of prior investment, even when conditions suggest the flight should be aborted.

'Get-there-itis' (or press-on-itis) refers to which dangerous pilot tendency?

Answer: The urge to complete a flight despite warning signs suggesting it should be abandoned

'Get-there-itis' describes the compulsion to complete a mission that overrides sound judgement about safety.

How does fatigue primarily affect a drone pilot's performance?

Answer: It increases reaction time and impairs decision-making capability

Fatigue slows reaction times and degrades cognitive function, making sound decision-making and hazard recognition significantly less reliable.

What is 'task saturation' in the context of drone operations?

Answer: When a pilot is overwhelmed with too many concurrent tasks, causing performance to degrade

Task saturation occurs when cognitive load exceeds a pilot's capacity, leading to errors, omissions, and reduced situational awareness.

The 'Swiss Cheese Model' of accident causation, developed by James Reason, describes:

Answer: Layered defence systems that, when their gaps align, allow accidents to occur

James Reason's Swiss Cheese Model illustrates how multiple defensive layers each contain weaknesses, and accidents occur when those weaknesses align simultaneously.

What is the 'startle effect' in drone and aviation operations?

Answer: An involuntary, immediate reaction to an unexpected event that can temporarily impair performance

The startle effect is an involuntary physiological and psychological response to unexpected stimuli that can momentarily impair a pilot's ability to respond correctly.