The Aviation Topics/Speech Acts Taxonomy (ATSAT) is a tool for categorizing pilot/controller communications according to their purpose. What makes the ATSAT different from other communications taxonomies is that FAA Air Traffic Control Order 7110.65 served to guide its development. We have used the ATSAT to identify, classify and code communications made by controllers and pilots from field tapes representative of day to day operations. The ATSAT is a hierarchical order of communication elements, which combine to form messages transmitted over voice radio or data link communications systems.

The communication element is conceptualized as a fundamental unit of meaningful verbal language [1]. In the ATSAT, communication elements are arranged by their functionality: that is, their purpose, operation or action. A commonly referenced communication element is the speech act [2,3]. The speech act is defined as an utterance, either spoken or written, which describes one discourse function. Aviation topics are the subject matter of the speech act [4]. They place a constraint on communication elements by imposing restrictions on the identified speech act category (who, what).

As shown in Table 1, the speech act categories include Address, Courtesy, Instruction, Advisory, Request and Non-Codable. The Address is the ‘who’ of the transmission. It refers either to an aircraft or to the air traffic control facility position/sector. In addition to showing a level of respect, a Courtesy often signals the end of a dialogue between the air traffic controller and the pilot, in much the same way that a ‘goodbye’ signals the end of a telephone conversation. The Instruction, Advisory and Request speech act categories represent what the communication element in the message is about - the action to be undertaken. They represent the 'do something', 'tell something' and 'ask something' of an utterance. For example, there are only two types of aviation topics listed in the Address speech act category.

Table 1. Aviation Topics/Speech Acts Taxonomy.

There can be only one speaker and one receiver of a transmission. The types of aviation topics listed in the Instruction, Advisory and Request speech act categories are not exhaustive, but represent the most frequently uttered messages heard from the field tapes. Using transcripts from pilot/controller communications, the process of parsing and encoding transmissions into communication elements, speech acts and aviation topics will be demonstrated.

References

1. Prinzo, O.V. (1996). An analysis of approach control/pilot voice communications. Washington DC: FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine Report, DOT/FAA/AM96-26.
2. Searle, J.R. (1969). Speech Acts. London: Cambridge University Press.
3. Kanki, B.G.; Foushee, H.C. (1989). Communication as group process mediator in aircrew performance. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 60, 402-410.

Paper presented at Measuring Behavior 2002 , 4^th International Conference on Methods and Techniques in Behavioral Research, 27-30 August 2002, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

© 2002 Noldus Information Technology bv