The Investigation of the Captain’s Neurophysiological Activation Patterns as Situational Awareness Loss During Single-Pilot Operations Through EEG

Advances in cockpit automation have enabled the concept of single-pilot operations (SPO), proposed to alleviate pilot scarcity and reduce crew expenses while sustaining operational capacity. A major barrier to SPO adoption is maintaining situational awareness (SA), the cognitive ability to perceive, comprehend, and anticipate flight conditions, i.e., a leading factor in aviation incidents and is exacerbated in SPO due to the lack of a first-officer’s support. This study aimed to identify neurophysiological patterns of SA loss during SPO using EEG. Twenty licensed airline pilots participated in a high-fidelity SPO simulation encompassing whole flight phases with embedded emergencies designed to induce SA fluctuations. Brain activity was recorded via a 32-channel EEG, while situational awareness was measured in real time using the validated Situational Present Assessment Method (SPAM). Twenty-three SPAM probes were administered at specific moments to minimize task interference. SPAM scores were categorized into high SA and low SA groups to label EEG data using unsupervised learning based on the reaction time. After EEG preprocessing and analysis, compared to high SA states, low SA was associated with significant PSD reductions in θ and α bands across frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes. Reductions in β and γ bands were confined to temporal and occipital regions. These findings provide objective, brain-based indicators of SA loss in SPO, addressing limitations of subjective measures and supporting SPO safety validation. The study integrated high-fidelity simulation, real-time EEG, and validated SA probing offers a replicable framework for future cognitive state research in complex aviation environments.