Originally Posted by
lucille
As for 30 kts of crosswind? The autopilot can easily do it with more precision than any human. Likewise engine failure or anything else you care to throw at it.
In principle I would agree.
In practice, I would suggest that 3-axis control law is a precise art and thus autopilots can fly with a precision difficult for humans to equal (consistently anyway). But complex decision making under complex failure conditions is not the same sort of problem to solve. It can of course also be automated, after all that is what emergency checklists are trying to achieve. However, you do need to be sure that you have covered every possible eventuality in the software. You also need to provide the autopilot with actuators for pretty much every lever, button, switch and circuit breaker in the aircraft. And when you accept that then you begin to wonder if retrofit of an existing aircraft design is really an option.
As for the engine fire scenario, just as an example: Shut down and land soonest procedures may be easily automated - but deciding the fire is not contained, structural integrity is at risk and we have to ditch now - that's a much bigger judgement ask for an automatic system.
So basically I do not think we are there yet.
Comparison with Tesla autodrive vehicles is of limited validity, because those autopilots always have the option to simply stop the car when it all gets a bit too much.