Prediction of pilot workload in helicopter landing after one engine failure

This paper presents a method to predict the pilot workload in helicopter landing after one engine failure. The landing procedure is simulated numerically via applying nonlinear optimal control method in the form of performance index, path constraints and boundary conditions based on an augmented six-degree-of-freedom rigid-body flight dynamics model, solved by collocation and numerical optimization method. UH-60A helicopter is taken as the sample for the demonstration of landing after one engine failure. The numerical simulation was conducted to find the trajectory of helicopter and the controls from pilot for landing after one engine failure with different performance index considering the factor of pilot workload. The reasonable performance index and corresponding landing trajectory and controls are obtained by making a comparison with those from the flight test data. Furthermore, the pilot workload is evaluated based on wavelet transform analysis of the pilot control activities. The workloads of pilot control activities for collective control, longitudinal and lateral cyclic controls and pedal control during the helicopter landing after one engine failure are examined and compared with those of flight test. The results show that when the performance index considers the factor of pilot workload properly, the characteristics of amplitudes and constituent frequencies of pilot control inputs in the optimal solution are consistent with those of the pilot control inputs in the flight test. Therefore, the proposed method provides a tool of predicting the pilot workload in helicopter landing after one engine failure.