Human-in-the-Loop Simulation of Three-Dimensional Path Arrival Management with Trajectory Error

Abstract

The Efficient Descent Advisor (EDA) is a prototype ground-based decision support tool (DST) that assists air traffic controllers in efficiently managing arrivals in en route airspace. Currently under development at NASA Ames Research Center, EDA is an extension of the Traffic Management Advisor (TMA) and a component of the Three Dimensional Path Arrival Management (3D PAM) project, a collaborative FAA/NASA/Industry effort. The objective of this study was twofold: one was to investigate the effects of fixed or dynamic turn-out points as part of the path stretch maneuver on EDA operation performance and controller workload. The other was to examine the feasibility of the 3D PAM concept under the presence of uncertainty in aircraft weight, winds, and pilot maneuver conformance. Results indicate that the dynamic start-point configuration caused more corrective advisories to be issued, and made the traffic patterns more complex, though the configuration had little impact on controller workload. Results also demonstrated that the inclusion of uncertainties of the chosen magnitude did not significantly impact either EDA functions or usability for the traffic simulated.