Ensuring Aircraft Safety In Single Point Failures, Automation and Human Factors

Abstract

Modern aircraft are highly reliant on automation for safe and efficient operation. However, automation failure may result in aircraft developing an undesirable state from which it is difficult to recover using traditional hand flying techniques. The recent crash of single aisle aircraft has demonstrated how a benign sensor failure provided false indication that resulted in aircraft automated system action to overtake pilot’s pitch control and led to a flight path from which it finally could not recover. High level aircraft automation can cause gradual loss of pilots’ flying skills leaving them under prepared to cope with an actual emergency or failure and their recovery actions may be erroneous, delayed or incomplete. The risk of accidents caused by single-point failures; either single-point equipment failure or single human error needs to be mitigated by better design for safety and use of technology. The aviation industry is combining technological advances in automation and artificial intelligence with human factors engineering to fully integrate the pilot, the flight deck and the aircraft for increased safety. The industry goal remains to reduce incidents and the impact of human errors in aircraft systems by using technology to enhance human performance and flight safety.