Task load and phase relevance modulate primary flight display change blindness: evidence from flight simulator, eye-tracking, and fNIRS

Change blindness (CB) during Primary Flight Display (PFD) monitoring threatens aviation safety, yet the roles of flight phase and parameter relevance remain unclear. This study examined cognitive-neural correlates of PFD change blindness in experienced commercial pilots. Experiment 1 (N = 14) found change location had no influence on detection performance but demonstrated a three‑way interaction among task load, flight phase and parameter type. Under high load, pilots detected attitude and descent rate more accurately during landing, and speed and altitude more accurately during cruise. Experiment 2 (N = 34) focused on landing with an auditory-load PFD change-detection task. High-relevance parameters boosted detection accuracy under high load alongside longer fixations. Enhanced Superior Parietal Lobule (SPL)/Inferior Parietal Lobule (IPL) activation and modulated dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dLPFC) activity correlated with reduced CB under high load. Findings indicate task load and phase relevance jointly shape PFD monitoring performance.