FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine 
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-26/17

Title and Subtitle: Qualitative Insights on the Stressors and Stress Mitigation and Recovery Strategies in Air Traffic Control Training

Report Date: April 2026

Authors: Day, E. A., Winsett, P., Beckel, J., Ho, T., Fischer, S. J., Rice, J., Mahmoud, D., Lue, J. C., Barrett, J., Wenger, M. J., Shi, D

Abstract: 
This report starts with an overview of a new, multi-phase interdisciplinary program of research. This program of research involves both lab and field studies to advance theory and practice on distress mitigation in high-performance, safety-critical occupations like air traffic control (ATC). This report summarizes a foundational qualitative study designed to extend prior stress research in ATC training via a qualitative approach involving semi-structured interviews with six subject matter experts (SMEs) with ATC instruction-related experience. We identify key stressors and stress mitigation and recovery strategies relevant to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Academy, college training initiative(CTI) students, and developmental controllers in field training. We framed our approach with a discrepancy-reduction, action theory perspective of stress and work performance. Findings provide foundational insight for interventions that address how trainees manage stress and how training environments can be structured to support their success, highlighting the importance of skill development through repeated practice opportunities with supportive instructors. Findings are discussed in terms of how they (1) extend and complement recent reports focused on reducing the physiological and emotional strain experienced in training and (2) point to the interpersonal dynamics between instructors and learners as vital to ensuring students and developmentals become active learners who are not afraid to take action and learn from mistakes.

Key Words: air traffic control, training, stressors, stress mitigation, error recovery.

No. of Pages: 33