Abstract
This paper acknowledges the recent thrust to integrate systems on the flight deck and details a usability evaluation of a prototype concept that provides integrated alerting functionality. The ANCOA (Alerting and Notification of Conditions Outside the Aircraft) concept was conceived as means for reducing error conflicts and establishing a clear prioritization among currently independent and disparate alerting systems for hazards external to the aircraft (e.g., TCAS, EGPWS). ANCOA reduces alert proliferation by creating a standardization by which all incoming information is categorized and prioritized under a common framework. By creating a consistent alerting and display philosophy to present information to the crew, we can reduce the demands on pilot attention and information processing. In this paper we discuss a couple of recent integrated hazard awareness systems developed by Honeywell International that make the innovative initial step to incorporate previously separate systems into a single system. We present ANCOA as a concept that can enhance systems of their type and advance their utility. We evaluated the concept's efficacy and present the results of a usability study involving nine commercial pilots that reviewed the concept.