Aircraft Checklist Design

[imsa]

Hi,

Im a Psychology Undergraduate and also a Private Pilot. I am currently researching Human Factors in Aviation for my dissertation project due this year.

My supervisor and I are looking into studying Checklist Designs. Specifically, the effects of certain layout of information designs. This is based on research that certain designs may contribute to visual stress and fixation errors, impairing accuracy and speed of reading . This may cause pilots to lose track of their visual position on the checklist and miss out some items. (I have to keep which design, specifically, disclosed for now, but will gladly follow up findings post the research! :))

Our study consists of 2 parts. The first part is an online survey. We've laid out 3 examples of commonly used layout designs.

I am looking for PPLs to help take part in this survey.

The task is simply to:

a) Please rank the different design layouts in terms of preference. Starting with most preferred to least preferred. (eg. Checklist C, Checklist A, Checklist B)
b) State which checklist design you are most familiar with. (eg. Checklist A)

I could not attach the picture in this thread :confused:https://www.flickr.com/photos/140401431@N07/24569760054/in/shares-Z1896n/

I am open to suggestions of impressive checklist layouts. Also if you would like to share any mishaps you had with Checklists. Personally, I missed out an item during my first solo. I was doing touch and gos and forgot to put my flaps back up for the next take off! :uhoh:

Thank you! Also just stating that, this has been approved by PPRuNE Towers

[Piltdown Man]

I have to admit I'm not a PPL, but I do use checklists rather a lot. My answers are as follows:

Q1. B C A

However, I would have to be satisfied that the writing behind the pink (if that is what it is) does not obliterate the text behind when read under a red light at night.

Q2 C but without the numbers

You might also wish to add some other aspects to your dissertation, such as the need for so many items and the verbosity of the text. Does it make the operating if aircraft any safer? I believe that when if comes to checklists, less is more. Virtually all of my commercial flying training and operating was done without a checklist. They were replaced with simple mnemonics.

PM

[Genghis the Engineer]

imsa

I can answer your survey, but I'm also a specialist in the area (as in I both practice in related fields, and occasionally supervise MSc and PhD projects in related areas). I have suspicions you may be asking the wrong questions in the wrong ways to get good research outcomes.

I would be happy to discuss here, but if you prefer, PM me an email address and we can take this offline.

G

[+TSRA]

Genghis,

I don't want to hijack the thread, but considering your experience would you be open to sharing some of your checklist insights? I'm currently developing new checklists for my company and I'd like to see what ideas are out there from an academic viewpoint.

imsa, I'd complete your survey except for the fact I hold an ATPL and am using checklists in a commercial environment...I'd rather not skew your data.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Heavy TS - much better than anything I'm likely to write here quickly, particularly in short order: have you come across a book called "The checklist manifesto". It's a surprisingly short and easy read, but I've found a spectacularly good sideways look at good practice in constructing checklists.

A few obvious thoughts however, to some extent inspired by imsa's post

- Are non-essentials in there which will only cause embarrassment, rather than safety problems, if omitted. Is there unnecessary clutter or duplication?
- Do the checks follow a convenient mnemonic and/or linear scan across the cockpit?
- Has the checklist writer clearly decided if it's to be used as (a) read/do, (b) do/confirm, (c) challenge and response ?
- How will it fit within the cockpit management?
- How does it resemble what the crew are used to from prior training and experience? Or, for that matter, will fly later if the aeroplane is an intermediate in flying career progression.
- If pilots fly other aircraft, are the practices interoperable with those?

After that you can start thinking about colour / font / layout which matter, but tend to fall out from a well constructed set of drills in the first place.

G

[mamgoz]

Have you considered testing the ease-of-use with an eyetracking software?

[+TSRA]

Genghis,

I ordered a copy of "The Checklist Manifesto" the day you suggested it. It only arrived this morning. I just finished it. A pretty darned good read and I really liked the medical aspect. I've already sent an e-mail to my co-workers to go buy it, only one of whom out of a group of 15 had previously heard of it.

Thank-you for your other suggestions. Looking back on the document I'm building, I had gone down many of the paths you had suggested without realizing it. That is to say, it seemed the most sensible and logical way of doing it.