Limited evaluation of the influence of coupled sidesticks on the pilot monitoring's awareness during stall in cruise

Abstract

Passive sidesticks have been used in modern fly-by-wire (FBW) commercial airplanes since the late 1980s. These passive sidesticks typically do not feature a mechanical coupling between them, therefore the pilot's and copilot's sidesticks move independently. This characteristic disabled the pilot monitoring (PM) to perceive the control inputs of the pilot flying (PF). This can lead to problems of awareness in abnormal situations. The development of active inceptors technology made it possible to electronically couple two sidesticks emulating a mechanical coupling. This research focuses on the benefits of coupled sidesticks to the situation awareness of the PM. A scenario based on the available data of an accident occurred in 2009 was synthesized. Four pilots participated in this study. Results suggest that the coupling between sidesticks, allowing the PM to perceive the PF's inputs, can improve the PM's situation awareness.