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Old 27th May 2011, 06:23
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MountainBear
 
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but if too much confusing information lead them to make errors of oversight/ignorance, then the obvious answer is to simplify the management in these situations, rather than have the computer sensors throw multiple warnings in the air and on the panel
This is a well understood problem. The answer, however, is not as simple as one might surmise. One major difficulty is that when the **** hits the fan the computer doesn't have any effective way to prioritize errors. One major reason why the pilot gets the situation dumped in his lap is based upon the expectation that, being the person on the spot, he can do what the computer cannot do: prioritize. The electronics which govern the flight systems is not a android or a cyborg; it can't think for itself. All it can do is what it was programmed to do. Well, by definition if the situation is thrown in the pilots lap it means the computer's programming capability has been exceeded. It's an oxymoron to insist that software be programmed for the unexpected.

In practical terms, "simplifying" things for the pilots means more complex software code, more automation, and more guesswork on the part of software engineers. The net result would be to 'simply' the pilot right out of the flight deck entirely.
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