How good is your Situational Awareness?

Combat Edge, Feb, 2003 by Ted Maj Sprague

Here is the twist. We always preach that the more experience we gain the better we are able to handle every situation. More experienced pilots will see the problems sooner, handle the situation better. The more experienced flight lead will be better at controlling all the different aspects of the mission, will be more flexible when things change, and -- on the whole -- will have higher Situational Awareness (SA) than a less experienced aviator. How can this same blessed experience be the creator of lower SA?

As with any equation we should by defining the variables. Experience (Ex) we can simply call the amount of time a pilot has in doing a particular task or set of tasks. The more a pilot has done things, the higher his experience. SA is not quite so simple.

An official definition of SA is "a continuous perception of self and aircraft in relation to the dynamic environment of flight, threats, and mission, and the ability to forecast, then execute those tasks based on perception." Doesn't mean much to me. Another definition provided by Crew Training International is a little easier for me to grasp. SA is "an accurate perception of what has happened, what is happening, and what might happen." We will define that as the level of correct knowledge the pilot has about everything going on in and around his aircraft, his fight, and his mission. Obviously, one can have a high (Hi) or a low (Lo) level of both Ex and SA.

It seems at first look that the equation Hi (Ex) = Lo (SA) is completely wrong. After all, how can past experience and in-depth knowledge of the task at hand actually lower our understanding of our surroundings? After all, we should strive for having experienced it all (knowing what happened), being able to adjust to the situation as it changes (knowing what is happening), and being able to know what will happen (having seen it before). Ultimate SA based on Hi Ex. So, how can Hi Ex cause us to lose SA? Let's look at how we can lose our SA.

Well, there's Alzheimer's or a concussion where a medical condition causes the loss of memory (and the loss of the "what has happened"). This part of the equation can be affected in other ways as well: being over tasked, getting behind the jet, or just not receiving the information to build a picture of what has actually happened. But once again, it appears that more experience only helps minimize the effects of all these (even with Alzheimer's you would have more to forget before the slate is clean). No link here.

That leaves knowing what is happening and what is going to happen. What is most likely to cause us to incorrectly assess these areas? The list here is endless so let's limit it to the ones that are cited most often: distraction, channelized attention, task saturation, complacency, insufficient preparation, or limited proficiency. But, once again most of these are areas that actually improve with greater experience. And each of these is effectively combated through gaining more experience. Not boding well for the proof.

But one of these factors just might hold the key: complacency. The simplest definition is "self-satisfaction." We've all heard stories of pilots who got complacent (or we've been there first hand). Most can relate to the pilot that relaxed during a mission only to have something pop up and destroy the moment of calm. These moments occur in every phase of the mission: the pilot, who has delivered the greatest brief, becomes so focused on the flight that he walks by his aircraft on the ramp; the aviator, who has launched 200 times from the same runway in military power, doesn't remember to use afterburner on an exercise launch with three external tanks; the G-awareness turn where nobody looks to deconflict flight paths; the air combat maneuver engagements where everyone knows where the others are suppose to be so no one confirms locations with a look or radio call; the recovery where the lead's navigation aids are bad and no one else notices; the landing approach that looked good until the belly (instead of the gear) hits the concrete; or pulling in to park in the space you left from and not confirming the wingtip is clear. Sometimes these are tragic moments. Sometimes they are just private reminders of the nature of the beast. But all of them may have had the same simple beginning: too much experience!

Hard to believe? Well, let's look at the root causes of complacency: simplicity and familiarity. Both of these set pilots up for becoming complacent. Simplicity is the result of learning a task so well that no thought or concern is put forward to complete it. The best way to learn a task is repetition and rehearsal (building experience). Familiarity comes from continued exposure to the same task (local area procedures, standard setups, etc.). Familiarity is also a result of experience.

The inexperienced pilot may make the same errors with the same resulting loss of SA, but NOT as a result of complacency. Their errors are a combination of the other factors, but not because they were comfortable and satisfied with the task at hand. Most are entirely too busy to let down their guard.