Handling of Abnormal Aircraft Takeoff Procedures: Cognitive Modeling of an ACT-R Synthetic Pilot Integrating an Ontological Reference Model

The takeoff phase is a critical moment in the progress of an aircraft flight. During this stage, the aircraft leaves the ground to take off, accelerating to quickly reach an appropriate flight speed and altitude. Any technical failure or unfavorable weather conditions during these few minutes can have serious repercussions. Therefore, when abnormal situations occur during takeoff, the pilot must react decisively by strictly applying the appropriate procedures. However, in these situations, stress levels are high, and it can be challenging for the pilot to remain calm and remember exactly what to do. In this paper, we explore an innovative approach to improve aircraft takeoff safety in the cases of abnormal conditions. By combining the power of ACT-R (Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational) cognitive modeling with an ontological reference model of standard piloting procedures, we have developed a synthetic pilot based on the ACT-R cognitive architecture. This virtual pilot is specifically designed to handle abnormal situations such as engine failure, windshear or TCAS (Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System) event. Our system offers two modes of operation. The interactive mode assists the human pilot, while the autonomous mode allows the virtual pilot to operate independently. In both cases, the aim is to facilitate rapid and appropriate decision-making to ensure safe and reliable takeoffs. This research makes a significant contribution to advancing efforts to implement comprehensive cognitive assistance for novice pilots in a simulation environment, as well as to the development of decision support systems for aviation.