Abstract for: Rewiring the Human Brain: Mastering Helicopter Emergencies through System Dynamics

The tail rotor on conventional helicopters counterbalances the power of the engine and if it fails, the aircraft can spin uncontrollably and crash. Pilots are given training on how to safely recover and land their helicopters during a tail rotor emergency and yet when it occurs, many pilots fail to act effectively, or worse, do the opposite of what they have been trained to do. This paper presents a position where the problem is not the pilot’s knowledge causing them to crash, but how they are taught. To present this case, a System Dynamics model, developed in 2018, is used to describe helicopter flight and how pilots are part of the system-of-systems as “human-in-the-loop”. The training process required for pilots to fly helicopters is also described along with its limitations, especially in preparing students for emergencies. A series of additional System Dynamics models, correlated to real-world data, are presented to show the effects of a tail rotor failure on the system, the recommended recovery method, and the pilot decision flow to make the recovery. Finally, this paper describes how System Dynamics can be used to improve pilot efficacy, especially in emergencies, and concludes with a case study, and personal story from the author, on the real-life use of System Dynamics to save lives in a helicopter crash.