No current airliner will automatically change course in response to a traffic conflict. If TCAS [0] gives an advisory, the pilot takes manual control or reprograms the autopilot. Spoofing transponder returns wouldn't do much to the aircraft except annoy the pilots.

Another reason traffic spoofing wouldn't cause the aircraft to deviate is that airliners fly standard approaches and departures (STAR [1] and SID [2]) and heavy traffic away from the approach paths would definitely get noticed.

Even the fly-by-wire Airbus can be flown manually using differential thrust and/or pitch trim control.

The only time I've heard of an Airbus loosing control of a damaged engine is when the electrical cable was physically severed. This was Qantas QF32 [1], after one engine exploded and damaged the cables to another engine.

To "take over" an aircraft with pilots in the cockpit, would require the compromise to multiple systems.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_collision_avoidance_sy...

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_terminal_arrival_rout...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_instrument_departure_...

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qantas_Flight_32

> I would personally never buy one of the Google (or any other) self-driving models with no controls.

Google cars have the Big Red Button, which shuts off self-driving system and brings the car to a stop.

What more controls do you need?

When are you barreling down a highway at 65 miles per hour, turning off the car might not be the best solution.

When you are barreling down a highway at 65 miles per hour and are not paying attention (and you wouldn't, because the car drives itself just fine), giving you controls is much more dangerous (for you and others around you) then not.

Urmson talks about it here: https://youtu.be/Uj-rK8V-rik?t=14m3s

If a fuel injection system were to fail via fried component or even a short would trip a fuse and cause it to fail safe by cutting fuel and shutting off the car. Fuel Throttle cables however have definitely become stuck in their sheathing in the WOT position. Happened to my dad on the highway in a 1992 Rodeo Isuzu.

> I would personally never buy one of the Google (or any other) self-driving models with no controls.

It won't matter if all the other cars on the road besides yours don't have controls.

A minor point, but the electronic accelerator control in autos is called "throttle-by-wire."

I've always seen that called EPC for Electronic Pedal Control, but that is probably VW-ism.

On the other hand on EFI car, having mechanical throttle cable does not add much to hack-safety as the ECU always has some way to override closed throttle (either disengaging throttle pedal mechanically switches the control of throttle to ECU operated servo or there is completely separate throttle controlled by ECU).