Recently released study findings maintain elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are linked to decreased pilot performance.
Findings of the Flight Safety Foundation probe published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology revealed an effort to determine whether excess CO2 concentrations would impact pilots’ functioning.
The simulator study assessed the likelihood of flying an acceptable maneuver in atmospheres containing varying concentrations of CO2.
Investigators said the work involved 30 commercial airline pilots flying three three-hour flight segments, including maneuvers of varying complexity, in a flight simulator with a different CO2 concentration for each flight segment – 700 parts per million (ppm), 1,500 ppm, and 2,500 ppm.
“The pilots were assessed by an FAA designated pilot examiner according to FAA Practical Test Standards,” the report said. “Compared to segments at a CO2 concentration of 2,500 ppm, odds of passing a maneuver as rated by the examiner in the simulator were 1.52 times higher when pilots were exposed to 1,500 ppm and 1.69 times higher when exposed to 700 ppm, controlling for maneuver difficulty, examiner and order of maneuvers.”
Researchers said the findings suggest there is a direct effect of carbon dioxide on performance, independent of ventilation, with implications for many other indoor environments that routinely experience CO2 concentrations about 1,000 ppm.