How flight experience impacts pilots’ decision-making and visual scanning pattern in low-visibility approaches: preliminary evidence from eye tracking
本研究通过眼动追踪实验，发现经验丰富的飞行员在低能见度进近中更倾向于复飞决策，并展现出更灵活的视觉扫描模式，对飞行员训练有参考价值。
The visual approach is the most accident-prone phase of a flight, especially in low-visibility conditions. This preliminary study aimed to examine the effects of flight experience on pilots' decision-making and visual scanning pattern in low-visibility approaches. Twenty pilots were separated into two groups based on their flight experience and completed the high- and low-visibility approaches in balanced order using a high-fidelity flight simulator. Pilots' mental workload and visual scanning patterns were recorded via an eye tracker. The results showed that, compared to less flight-experienced pilots (20%, 3/15), experienced pilots (80%, 4/5) were more likely to make go-around decisions in the low-visibility approaches. Furthermore, they exhibited a more flexible and adaptable visual scanning pattern by quickly shifting their attention, as evidenced by decreased fixations and increased saccades. These findings suggest that the integration of visual scanning strategy and training solution with a marginally meteorological approach may enhance decision-making safety for novice pilots.