Investigation of the Impact of an Undetected Instrument Landing System Failure on Crew Situational Awareness

This article examines the impact of an undetected Instrument Landing System (ILS) failure on crew situational awareness. A literature review of similar aviation accidents is presented, highlighting the recurring challenge of misleading instrument indications and their influence on approach safety. The research environment consisted of flight simulator replicating both ideal and accident-weather conditions at two airports, with the final scenario involving a simulated ILS receiver malfunction providing erroneous yet seemingly valid indications. Six pilots with varying flight hours participated, conducting four simulated approaches under different conditions. Flight path stability, deviation from glide slope and course, approach speed, and decision-making were recorded and analyzed. The results indicate that experienced pilots detected inconsistencies more quickly, maintained more stable control inputs, and initiated go-arounds earlier, while less experienced pilots required more time but were still able to correctly assess the risks. The primary goal of this research was to identify cognitive mechanisms and operational decision-making processes under simulated conditions, not to establish universally generalizable outcomes. The findings underline the importance of simulator-based training incorporating unexpected navigation system failures to reinforce cross-checking habits, enhance situational awareness, and improve decision-making during critical phases of flight.