Seeing the Why Behind Aviation Performance with Eye Tracking

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Aviation has mastered the analysis of outcomes. Procedures are documented, deviations are tracked, and events are dissected with precision.

What is less visible is the layer beneath the outcome: how attention shifted in the moment and how mental demand influenced performance.

In 2024, IATA reported that manual handling and flight control errors contributed to 39% of accidents. These events are rarely about knowledge gaps. More often, they reflect how scan discipline, prioritization, and workload interact under operational pressure.

The next frontier for aviation performance is not more standards. It is better visibility into the precursors that shape those outcomes.

This is well beyond simple heat maps. Advances in wearable eye tracking and analytics now allow for practical, real-time analysis. These value-add platforms can not only help individual pilots and instructors but also help training management design more efficient training.

Making attention visible

Objective visibility into attention changes the quality of performance discussions.

Traditional debriefs focus on procedural outcomes measured against optimal standards. Instructors note deviations or reference concepts such as loss of situational awareness. What is not directly observed, however, is the pilot’s cognitive state at the moment of execution.

As Rick Parker, 737 CA, Founder of Next Level XR, Co-Founder and former CTO of VTR, explains:

“Current training debriefs focus on procedural outcomes measured against optimal performance standards. What is currently not observed or measured is the cognitive state of a pilot in training each time they perform or fail to perform a task at an acceptable level of proficiency.”

Wearable eye tracking makes attention observable. Scan discipline becomes measurable rather than assumed. Verification becomes confirmable rather than inferred.

In one applied research effort, eye tracking was used to observe air traffic controllers working in a live control room. Rather than relying on post-event descriptions, researchers replayed recordings to understand how controllers gathered information, drew conclusions, and executed actions. The findings did not point to a training deficiency. They revealed a mode error in the interface that was creating confusion. The response was to redesign, adjusting visual hierarchy and system behavior to reduce cognitive friction.

When attention becomes measurable, design decisions become more grounded.

Understanding workload in context

Attention alone does not explain performance. Workload completes the picture.

Cognitive load reflects the mental effort required at a given moment. In aviation, that demand fluctuates constantly. A stable phase can shift quickly into high-demand processing.

Parker describes how workload degradation unfolds:

“Initially, there is an increase in attention and an accelerated pace of actions. With experienced crews, this increase is usually very accurate. As pilots become task-saturated, the pace of actions and communications slows down. Pilots often become fixated, usually with the FMS, and then situational awareness and communications degrade further.”

That progression is rarely captured in traditional reports.

Eye-based indicators such as fixation behavior, scan patterns, and pupil response can signal when workload is approaching saturation. When layered with cognitive analytics built on wearable systems — including platforms that integrate Tobii eye tracking data — organizations gain a clearer picture of when performance is beginning to shift.

• Not seen.
• Seen but not processed.
• Seen and deprioritized.

On paper, these appear identical. In reality, they require different interventions.

CA Parker adds that objective workload measurement also has implications beyond the individual:

“The ability to objectively measure attention and workload management, and how it affects skill acquisition, is a valuable new tool. It allows organizations to identify and mitigate cognitive overload resulting from curriculum design.”

Traditional evaluation captures outcomes. Attention and workload data capture precursors.

Application Across Roles

This visibility is not role-specific.

In training, instructors gain a firmer basis for debrief. Interpretation gaps narrow and coaching becomes more consistent.

In maintenance and inspection, leaders can examine whether interruptions or task transitions are driving overload rather than defaulting to retraining.

In manufacturing, workflow design can be refined before small attention bottlenecks scale into systemic inefficiencies.

Across domains, the value is not added oversight. It is better alignment between task design and human capability.

What to Watch at WATS 2026

WATS 2026, May 5–7 in Orlando, will continue the industry’s focus on measurable training effectiveness and operational readiness.

For leaders assessing how to strengthen debrief quality, inspection reliability, or procedural alignment, the opportunity lies in seeing performance through a more complete lens. Tobii will be exhibiting at Booth 511, where visitors can see live demonstrations of wearable eye tracking systems and how they can be layered with cognitive load measurement in applied aviation environments.

Aviation already measures what happened with rigor. The emerging opportunity is to measure what shapes performance before it falters.

For more information, visit: https://www.tobii.com/