Re “…monitoring the automation…” (#2225)
Part of the problem is that current teaching involves monitoring automation, whereas monitoring the aircraft flight path as if it were being hand flown by another pilot should provide a clearer understanding of the situation.
It is necessary to check FMA, RA displays etc, but in sensible priority to the larger picture of what the aircraft is doing;- attitude, airspeed, altitude, hdg/trk – a robust basic instrument scan.
With time available, where the scan includes subsidiary items, it may be possible to project deviations or failure from faults (thinking ahead), but with time constraint – high workload, training demand, inexperience, then we have to rely on a basic scan pattern to detect aircraft deviation from prescribed limits. If automation is the cause, correct or disconnect it. If evaluation time is short, don’t let the situation determine the future – you do that, intervene in the situation with manual flight.