Boeing 737 Max: Fatal crashes revive fears about automation in planes - Business Insider

  • 📰 BusinessInsider
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 126 sec. here
  • 4 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 54%
  • Publisher: 51%

United States News News

United States United States Latest News,United States United States Headlines

The Boeing 737 Max crashes have revived decades-old fears about what happens when airplane computers become more powerful than pilots

Boeing's updates to the system include it taking information from more than one sensor, only letting it activate once during a flight, and — crucially — giving pilots more control but changing MCAS so it will "will never provide more input than the pilot can counteract using the control column alone."

Some experts say they have been warning since the very introduction of the technology that automation could cause incidents like the Max crashes. Undelivered Boeing 737 Max planes sit idle at a Boeing property in Seattle, Washington, in August 2019."We're in the air transportation business, we should be operating 10 years at a minimum behind the leading edge of technology."

This interface is one that often works smoothly — computers on the plane listen to pilots, or work away seamlessly in the background while pilots do other things.An Ethiopian police officer walks past debris of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash in March 2019.Meshkati said that "automated systems are often based on the known scenarios which you can program by the operators in the emergency operating systems.

He said that the response to the plane's nose going down is the same, regardless of whether it was caused by MCAS or something else. Boeing had maintained that the system is built into the plane so fundamentally that it did not require any other training.More broadly, Meshkati warned that increasing reliance on automation could actually erode pilot skills in the long term.

"Look at your home computer. How many times do you have a problem with software not running properly? How many times do you have to reboot to fix the problem and how many times does this not work? Could it be that we have 'teched' ourselves to a point where safety has suffered?Goodrich said that, as an aeronautical engineer who has been working for more than five decades, he still has to read pilot manuals "five times through to actually figure out exactly what's going on.

Dennis Muilenburg, then the president and CEO of Boeing, responds to questioning from the US House Transportation Committee at a hearing on the Boeing 737 Max in October 2019."Further," she said, "the pilots were not aware of or trained on MCAS, and it was not included in their flight manuals, leaving them confused as to why the plane was behaving erratically.

The plane's automation, Langewiesche wrote, left Sullenberger free to decide what to do as the plane executed his actions.Chris Clearfield, founder of risk management consulting firm System Logic, a licensed pilot, and co-author of "Meltdown," a book about handling catastrophes, noted that both Boeing and Airbus planes have "an incredible amount of automation."

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 729. in US
 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.

98% of the entire flight is already done by computers. They make far less mistakes than humans. And if they do make a mistake, its because it wasn't programmed correctly by a human...

So who is the chief in the cockpit? It sounds as if there is no way a trained, certified and proficient pilot is able to override automated flight control systems when circumstances warrant. I don't believe it - but if true, we have forgotten who is indeed the chief.

Technology over ridding man is the worlds greatest danger

United States United States Latest News, United States United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

T-Mobile-Sprint merger just cleared its last hurdle - Business Insider - Business InsiderThe formation of New T-Mobile amid a time of flux in the US wireless market will have wide-ranging consequences for the US telecommunications space. Hi, Abercrombie and Fitch has Made in USA. AbercrombieandFitch
Source: BusinessInsider - 🏆 729. / 51 Read more »

How to market your startup and grow a successful business - Business InsiderBusiness Insider talked to founders, attended panels, and surveyed entrepreneurs to find out what marketing tools helped them build their businesses.
Source: BusinessInsider - 🏆 729. / 51 Read more »

Top business news: Angel investors, streaming stars, top bankers - Business InsiderIt's often said that it's not what you know, but who you know. Meet the investors writing big checks to founders, the execs shaping the streaming war, and rainmaker bankers. SAvsENG H.Klaasen !!!!! Doing the most ! 🏏
Source: BusinessInsider - 🏆 729. / 51 Read more »

Entrepreneur's Tool Kit: Apps, services, and docs to start a business - Business InsiderLaunching a business is full of surprising challenges, so check out BI's exclusive resources and guides for first-time founders — no MBA required.
Source: BusinessInsider - 🏆 729. / 51 Read more »

Home Depot's new massive distribution center: photos - Business InsiderA Home Depot spokesperson told Business Insider that Dallas is a 'key hub' for the company's 'national delivery strategy.' Just ordered from there two day shipping is for real. I didn’t know Home Depot sold Flatbed Trucks !! 😋
Source: BusinessInsider - 🏆 729. / 51 Read more »

Private equity's data-hiring push; The top M&A bankers, ranked; Tradeweb's next move - Business InsiderWall Street Insider is a behind-the-scenes look at the stories dominating banking, business, and big deals.
Source: BusinessInsider - 🏆 729. / 51 Read more »