Research papers

Reports on Toxicological Findings in Fatal Civil Aviation Accidents

Annual toxicology summary of pilots and other crew from fatal U.S. civil aviation accidents. Documents the prevalence of legal and illicit drugs, sedating antihistamines, antidepressants, cannabinoids, and other CNS-acti…

Pilot Fatigue and Sleep Patterns in Long-Range and Ultra-Long-Range Operations

Field study of crew sleep and alertness during ultra-long-range commercial operations. Combines actigraphy, sleep diaries, and PVT-B reaction tests.

Age and the General Aviation Pilot: A Review of the Accident and Medical Certification Data

Analyzes the relationship between pilot age, accident rates, and medical certification outcomes in U.S. general aviation. Identifies age cohorts with elevated risk for specific accident types (loss of control, controlled…

Aircrew Performance Following Rapid Depressurization at Altitude

Hypobaric chamber study of pilot performance during simulated rapid decompression at cruise altitudes. Measures time of useful consciousness, cognitive task accuracy, and oxygen-mask donning latency across age and altitu…

Cabin Safety Research: Evacuation in Smoke and Reduced Visibility

CAMI cabin-evacuation laboratory studies on passenger flow rates, exit-row selection, and crew commands under low-visibility (smoke) conditions.

Evaluation of Drowsiness Among Air Traffic Controllers in U.S. En Route and Terminal Operations

Examines drowsiness reports, schedule patterns, and circadian misalignment among FAA air traffic controllers. Recommends shift-rotation revisions for the midnight watch and structured rest breaks during night operations.

Spatial Disorientation Mishaps in U.S. Civil Aviation, 1996-2015

Twenty-year review of fatal civil aviation accidents involving spatial disorientation. Categorizes by illusion type (somatogravic, leans, false horizon, graveyard spiral), pilot certificate level, and flight phase.

A Review of the Pilot Self-Assessment Process for Fitness to Fly

Review of the IMSAFE (Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotion) self-assessment model and emerging alternatives. Surveys pilot adherence to self-assessment standards across recreational, commercial, and CFI…

Survey of Sleep Quantity and Quality in the U.S. Commercial Pilot Population

Cross-sectional survey of self-reported sleep duration, sleep disorders, and use of sleep aids among 14 CFR Part 121 pilots. Compares to OAM clinical benchmarks and identifies subgroups at elevated risk for excessive day…

Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Accident Analysis 2007-2011

CAMI epidemiologic analysis of HEMS accident causes, contributing factors, and survivability outcomes. Correlates with NTSB safety recommendations on HEMS night flying, weather minima, and crew training.

Survival Time After Postcrash Fire in Transport-Category Airplane Accidents

Reviews postcrash-fire survivability data from worldwide commercial transport accidents. Identifies cabin material flammability, evacuation slide deployment reliability, and crew training as primary survivability determi…

Workload Management in General Aviation Cockpits

Eye-tracking and physiological-workload measurement during simulated GA scenarios. Compares workload signatures across glass-cockpit and steam-gauge configurations, with implications for flight-instructor training and pr…