Ignition Override You selected some poor examples in your post re complacency, particularly that of the Airbus A330 accident. The pilot was the chief test pilot conducting a specific test, the circumstances of which uncovered a design weakness. It is unfortunate that lives were lost to ensure that those who fly Airbus and other aircraft, benefited from the lessons learnt.
Airbus designers appreciated some time ago that the weakest link in aviation safety was the human element. Thus, their designs are human centred, based on the following operational philosophy.
1) The pilot is ultimately responsible for the safe operation of the aircraft. He has final authority with adequate information and means to exercise this authority.
2) The full authority, when required, is obtained with simple intuitive actions, while aiming at eliminating the risks of overstress or overcontrol.
3) The design of a cockpit accommodates for a wide range of pilot skill levels and experience acquired on previous aircraft.
4) The design of a cockpit is dictated by safety, passenger comfort and efficiency in that order of priority.
5) The cockpit design aims at simplifying the crew’s tasks, by enhancing situational and aircraft status awareness.
6) The automation is considered as a complement available to the pilot, who can decide when to delegate and what level of assistance is desirable, according to the situation.
7) The human machine interfaces are designed considering system features, together with pilot’s strengths and weaknesses.
8) State of the art human factors considerations are applied in the system design process to manage the potential pilots' errors.
9) The overall cockpit design favors the crew communication.
10) The use of new technologies and implementation of new functionalities are dictated by
- significant safety benefits
- obvious operational advantages
- a clear response to the pilot’s needs .
Much of the above was validated by Nick Warner; it also reflects the forethought of other pilots such as Gordon Corps. It is regrettable that neither pilot can post their views on this subject, but I suspect that they will have a wry smile from on high as they learn that Boeing has introduced a ‘hard limit’ into the pitch control software of the latest B777-300.