The study examined whether psychological conditions and cognitive load following aircraft accidents or incidents affect the situational awareness of Air Traffic Controllers at AirNav Indonesia Surabaya Branch. Situational awareness is considered one of the most critical competencies in air traffic control because it enables controllers to understand current traffic conditions, anticipate future developments, and make rapid operational decisions.
The findings are particularly relevant as aviation systems become increasingly complex and dependent on human performance. Although technological advancements continue to improve aviation safety, the role of Air Traffic Controllers remains essential in preventing collisions, managing aircraft movements, and ensuring efficient air traffic flow.
Why Situational Awareness Matters in Aviation
Air Traffic Controllers work in an environment that demands constant concentration, quick decision-making, and accurate communication. They must simultaneously monitor aircraft positions, communicate with pilots, coordinate with other operational units, and respond to unexpected changes in traffic conditions.
In such a high-risk environment, situational awareness serves as the foundation for safe operations. According to the study, situational awareness involves three key abilities: perceiving relevant information, understanding its meaning, and predicting future developments.
When an aircraft accident or serious incident occurs, controllers may experience emotional stress, anxiety, or increased mental demands. Previous research has suggested that such experiences could potentially reduce cognitive performance and affect operational effectiveness. However, empirical evidence specifically examining Indonesian Air Traffic Controllers has remained limited.
To address this gap, the research team investigated whether post-incident psychological conditions and cognitive load significantly influence situational awareness among aviation professionals.
Survey Involved 60 Air Traffic Controllers
The researchers adopted a quantitative survey approach involving 60 Air Traffic Controllers from AirNav Indonesia Surabaya Branch. Participants were selected because of their operational experience and relevance to aircraft accident or incident situations.
Data were collected through structured questionnaires measuring three main aspects:
- Psychological conditions after aircraft accidents or incidents.
- Cognitive load experienced during operational duties.
- Situational awareness capability.
The respondents represented a highly experienced workforce. More than 41 percent were aged 46 years or older, while the same proportion had more than 21 years of professional experience.
This demographic profile became an important factor in interpreting the study's findings because experience often plays a crucial role in managing operational pressure.
Controllers Reported High Situational Awareness
The results revealed that respondents experienced moderate levels of psychological pressure and cognitive workload following accident or incident situations.
However, their situational awareness remained consistently high.
Key findings include:
- Average psychological condition score: 3.05 (moderate).
- Average cognitive load score: 3.05 (moderate).
- Average situational awareness score: 4.15 (high).
These results indicate that Air Traffic Controllers continued to demonstrate strong abilities in perception, comprehension, projection, and decision-making despite experiencing emotional and mental demands.
According to the researchers, this suggests that aviation professionals may possess effective coping mechanisms and operational strategies developed through years of experience and training.
Psychological Pressure Did Not Significantly Reduce Performance
One of the most surprising findings was that neither psychological conditions nor cognitive load showed a statistically significant impact on situational awareness.
The analysis found that:
- Psychological conditions had no significant effect on situational awareness.
- Cognitive load also had no significant effect on situational awareness.
- Both variables combined did not significantly influence situational awareness.
The statistical model showed that these two factors explained only 3.5 percent of the variation in situational awareness. The remaining 96.5 percent was influenced by other factors not included in the study.
This result challenges the common assumption that post-incident stress automatically leads to reduced operational awareness.
Instead, the findings suggest that situational awareness among experienced Air Traffic Controllers is influenced by a broader set of factors beyond emotional stress and mental workload alone.
Experience May Be the Key Factor
According to Erwin Munda and his research team, professional experience appears to be one of the most likely explanations for the findings.
Most respondents had more than a decade of operational experience, allowing them to develop strong mental models, procedural familiarity, and adaptive strategies when dealing with high-pressure situations.
The researchers argue that experienced controllers can rely on accumulated knowledge and training to maintain operational awareness even when psychological pressure increases.
The study also identified a strong relationship between psychological conditions and cognitive load. Controllers experiencing higher psychological stress tended to report higher cognitive workload as well. However, this relationship did not translate into lower situational awareness.
This suggests that experienced aviation professionals may be capable of managing both emotional and cognitive demands without significantly compromising operational performance.
Implications for Aviation Safety
Although the study found no significant effect of psychological conditions and cognitive load on situational awareness, the researchers emphasize that these factors should not be ignored.
Aviation safety depends heavily on human performance, especially in critical operational environments. As a result, organizations should continue investing in psychological support programs, workload monitoring systems, fatigue management initiatives, and scenario-based training.
The researchers recommend that AirNav Indonesia strengthen post-incident assistance programs to ensure controllers remain mentally prepared and operationally effective following critical events.
The findings also highlight the importance of other factors such as technical competence, teamwork, communication quality, organizational support, safety culture, and standard operating procedures in maintaining situational awareness.
According to the authors, future studies should examine these additional variables to gain a more comprehensive understanding of human performance in aviation environments.
Author Profile
Erwin Munda is a researcher and aviation academic affiliated with Politeknik Penerbangan Indonesia Curug, Indonesia. His research focuses on aviation safety, human factors, air traffic control performance, situational awareness, and aviation psychology.
This study was conducted in collaboration with Nunuk Praptiningsih, Rahmawati Sukra, Dhian Supardam, and Aldela Ayu Titi Nurhawani, all affiliated with Politeknik Penerbangan Indonesia Curug.
Research Source
Article Title: Analysis of Psychological Conditions and Cognitive Load after Aircraft Accident/Incident on Air Traffic Controller Situational Awareness
Authors: Erwin Munda, Nunuk Praptiningsih, Rahmawati Sukra, Dhian Supardam, Aldela Ayu Titi Nurhawani
Institution: Politeknik Penerbangan Indonesia Curug
Journal: Asian Journal of Applied Education (AJAE)
Volume & Issue: Vol. 5, No. 3 (2026)
Pages: 459–474
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