I like this summation so what should/can be done?
I say you need some historical data
Examine the failure rate for the individual faults, if the actual fleet failure rates in combination predict the accident with a greater than 60% probability than look at the manufacturer for preventive action. If the failure rates in combination are much less than this than look at the operator for preventive action
I agree, and technology may help here. Some modern aircraft can already automatically upload the mission data to the manufacturer after each flight, including FDR and QAR data, GPS tracklog etc. For older aircraft such as the MD-80 I guess there is still a significant engineering problem. Not with the data recorder as such, but it would need to have a communication capability such as a wireless data modem, and to devise a new antenna installation as a retrofit to old aircraft may be expensive. You tell me
