Air Traffic Control as Distributed Joint Activity : Using Clark’s Theory of Language to Understand Collaborative Working in ATC

Today’s air traffic control (ATC) systems rely on multi-agent collaboration when managing air traffic. The introduction of new technologies into this complex environment motivates a need to assess predictively the impact of future technologies on the work practices currently present within the ATC system. This paper uses principles associated with Clark’s theory of language use (Clark, 1996) to analyse episodes of ATC work. Analysis shows that problems in ATC may originate through a failure to co-ordinate but, if required, they may also be subject to co-ordinated repair. Clark’s concepts and the results of the analysis are used to describe how opportunities for the origination, discovery, and repair of problems in joint action may be shown to differ between the presently used single media ATC system and the anticipated mixed media ATC environment of the future. Data link, though anticipated to aid in the prevention of low level problems in co-ordination, is thought to have little influence on the occurrence of higher level problems. The medium in particular emerges as a potentially poor repair tool and, consequently, continued reliance on VHF communication is predicted for co-ordination repair purposes.