Work under EAS is conducted in the Human Factors Research and Technology Division at NASA AMES Research Center in consultation and collaboration with NASA Space Operations and industry partners: air carriers, manufacturers, regulatory agencies, and trade and union groups, among others. EAS was most recently a component of the System Wide Accident Prevention (SWAP) Objective of the NASA Aviation Safety and Security Program. EAS is a comprehensive, multi-year endeavor that examines a variety of factors that affect the ways in which flight crews and astronauts respond to emergency, abnormal, and off-nominal situations.

Emergency, abnormal, and off-nominal situations represent a unique challenge in the operation of all complex systems. On one hand, operators have to maintain a very high degree of proficiency in relevant procedures, while on the other hand they may rarely have an opportunity to practice them. Commercial pilots may receive training on emergency procedures in a simulator only once a year or even less often. General Aviation pilots may have to demonstrate basic skills in emergency procedures only once every two years.

The focus of training for astronauts and pilots at air carriers is usually on completing a specific procedure, rather than on managing the situation as a whole. Most training sessions focus on situations where a single problem triggers the use of a particular procedure, whereas in real operations it may be the case that multiple problems occur simultaneously. Moreover, the coordination of all players (such as cabin crew, ATC, dispatch, mission control) is rarely a part of the flight crew and astronaut training.

Many of the procedures flight crews and astronauts use have evolved very little over the years. Typically, these procedures do not reflect current understanding of human performance and vulnerabilities when under stress, nor do they reflect the complex interactions that constitute the modern automated aircraft or space vehicle, the crew, and the operational environment. Little guidance exists related to abnormal, emergency, and off-nominal operations aboard aircraft or space vehicles. Thus, there are significant gaps to be closed.

In a series of studies completed during the early 1990s, Degani and Wiener addressed many issues related to normal procedures used aboard aircraft. However, no guidance exists related to abnormal, emergency, and off-nominal operations aboard aircraft or space vehicles. Thus, there are significant gaps to be closed.

Areas of Study:

The main areas addressed under EAS include:

- emergency, abnormal, and off-nominal procedures
- paper and electronic emergency and abnormal checklists, quick reference handbooks, and flight data files
- human performance capabilities and limitations under high stress and high workload conditions
- personnel and crew coordination issues
- training for emergency, abnormal, and off-nominal situations
- roles of and response by others in such situations (cabin crew, ATC, dispatch, maintenance, mission control)

The overriding goal for the EAS Study is to acquire and disseminate knowledge that has real world implications and is operationally relevant regarding emergency, abnormal, and off-nominal situations.