Contact Information
Lance Prinzel
Aerospace Engineer and Research Psychologist
Group Lead, Aerospace Human Factors and Safety
Crew Systems and Aviation Operations Branch (D318)
NASA Langley Research Center
24 West Taylor St.
Mail Stop 152
Hampton, VA 23681
Email: lawrence.j.prinzel@nasa.gov
Bio
Dr. Lance Prinzel is an aerospace engineer and research psychologist who serves as the Senior Technical Advisor to the NASA System-Wide Safety project under the Airspace Operations and Safety Program. As a key member of the project leadership team, he provides technical guidance and team leadership to plan, conduct, and manage substantial research, development, testing, and evaluation of concepts, methods, technologies, and innovations focused on commercial aviation safety. Dr. Prinzel is responsible for helping identify, research, mature, and integrate state-of-the-art advances in methods and technologies in the areas of autonomous systems, verification and validation methods for certification, AI-based data analytics, human factors, safety management systems, and future-generation aircraft and airspace management concepts.
In his current role, he is leading key stakeholder engagements, serving on safety and technical committees, and establishing collaborations with industry, academia, safety organizations, and other government agencies. He has also been a chief contributor to the In-time Aviation Safety Management System (IASMS) concept of operation that is designed to safely integrate emerging and traditional air vehicles and operations, which are currently being developed and demonstrated through these strategic partnerships.
As a senior research team member, Dr. Prinzel is currently focused on: (a) advanced machine learning and other artificial intelligence data analytic methods, tools, techniques, and approaches to identify precursors, anomalies, and indicators for proactive and predictive safety; (b) use of novel safety data types to better understand what goes right to mitigate what can go wrong; and (c) innovative commercial airline pilot training methods.
Dr. Prinzel previously led a substantial amount of NASA research on commercial aviation flight deck communication, navigation, control, and surveillance avionics systems and human factors focused on mitigation and/or prevention of safety issues to include spatial disorientation and loss-of-control in-flight, runway incursions and excursions, traffic and terrain awareness and avoidance, and automation system mode unawareness. He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and M.S. in Aerospace Science. Dr. Prinzel has over 180 peer-reviewed publications and holds five patents.