Have we reached, or gone past, the point where humans can no longer be totally in control of new generation machines?
When I worked in the airline industry I would on occasion ride in the cockpit jump seat on some of my company’s flights. As a pilot myself this was a great benefit and as the aircraft became newer I began to observe some of the newer technology that basically flew the aircraft.
In June of 2009 a four-year-old Airbus A330 tragically crashed into the Atlantic Ocean one night. As with any aircraft accident there were many factors that lead to the outcome. Reports indicate it may have begun with the extreme weather and turbulence, and sensor malfunction due to icing, which lead to a disengaged autopilot, and lots of data and visual and audible ques for the flight crew to process.
A couple years after this event I listened to a speaker whose topic was the Interface Between Man and Machine. The speaker talked about the above event and this subject stuck with me.
In the past six months we have seen the loss of two new Boeing MAX aircraft and all on board. It appears from the many news reports I’ve read and watched there were commonalities between these two events. At the center of discussions is a software system on these aircraft that automatically pitches the aircraft nose down if certain sensors indicate a nose high attitude.
My intention is not to dissect any of these terrible events, or point at computer systems, the aircraft, aircraft design, certification, or flight crew actions. Once again my thoughts come back to that high-level subject of interface between man and machine.
Today, most machines are designed with systems, controls, advanced features managed by computers with inputs from sensors, and ever-changing software programs. Industrial machines, automobiles, household appliances, it really doesn’t matter what type of advanced machine you are talking about. You can say operators and those who maintain and interact with these high-tech machines do so based on an understanding of the data the machine is providing. We humans must understand what the machine is telling us in order to properly and safely operate or maintain it.
Pilots and technicians of new generation aircraft are tasked with understanding, correctly processing, and taking action on data generated by the aircraft. Imagine this during a flight with extreme turbulence and weather conditions, an emergency situation, with an autopilot disengaging or maneuvering the aircraft for you. It has to be stressful and challenging.
I am amazed and intrigued everyday by automation and technology – it’s cool. But isn’t automation and technology intended to ease an operator’s workload and create safer machines. Are we at a point (or past the point) where the machine is asking too much of the human operator?
Ron
