[conspire] Risks of automation, part 2

[Rick Moen]

Some UI & documentation failures are more serious than others.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/11/indonesia-737-crash-caused-by-safety-feature-change-pilots-werent-told-of/

  Indonesia 737 crash caused by “safety” feature change pilots weren’t told of
  SEAN GALLAGHER - 11/13/2018, 9:40 AM


  [...]
  Boeing never told pilots about one key new safety feature [of the
  brand-new 737 MAX] -- or how to troubleshoot its failure.
  [...]

  In the past, anti-stall systems have either issued audible warnings to
  pilots [..]

Indeed, have heard of those, one upon a time.  They sometimes worked,
and sometimes not so much.  Go on, please:

  [...] or, as in newer systems, used a sensory feedback system that
  warns the pilot by putting more resistance on the aircraft's control
  stick or yoke when the pilot is approaching the critical angle. But the
  new system in the 737 uses data from the aircraft's AOA [angle of
  attack] and airspeed sensors to proactively counter pilot error, 
  adjusting the aircraft's controls to push the nose down if the sensors 
  indicate the aircraft could stall.

  Initial data from the investigation of the crash of Lion Air Flight
  610 indicates that the AOA sensor was providing "erroneous input,"
  according to a Boeing statement.  The aircraft had recently had an
  AOA sensor replaced, and had experienced additional unidentified 
  issues; a maintenance technician was aboard at the time of
  the crash, but not because of the AOA sensor.

  The Operational Manual Bulletin sent out by Boeing on November 6
  provides procedures for dealing with that sort of situation, but no
  prior training provided by Boeing ever mentioned the automated system.

Oops.

  The faulty AOA sensor data may have caused the aircraft's trim system
  to lower the nose down in order to avoid a stall. 
  [...]

Yeah, guys?  If building a novel system into a brand-new airframe that 
_could_ spontaneously decide to override pilot input and _could_ act
erroneously, please consider mentioning its existence to aircrews. 

Could avert, y'know, 189 fatalities + loss of a $130M airframe.

-- 
Cheers,                                     The Viking's Reminder:
Rick Moen                                   Pillage first, _then_ burn.
rick at linuxmafia.com
McQ!  (4x80)