Re:The computer crash
by ErrantX on Saturday June 06, 2009 @06:10PM
(#645187)
Agreed. I mean faulty speed readings are obviously a critical problem.
But in infinity 9 cases it doesnt matter - there is an SOP to get round the issue and the plane makes it to the destination.
Similairly multiple electronics failure requiring manual control of the plane probably isnt definitely fatal to a flight (otherwise there would be much stricter faiilsafes, right? look at the eurofighter which has 7 failsafes for some of the core systems - because it phyiscally CANNOT be flown manually - astounding technology btw, but OT :D).
And planes fly through bad storms and are hit by lightening almost daily with no risk.
The combination of loss of auto-pilot in a storm at an altitude that required precision flying - followed by the failure of one of the most crucial instruments involved in that failsafe process is obvioulsy the fault of statistics rather than negligence. In all the airbus planes that have flown for it to happen once is probably highly unlikely - but that doesnt mean it never happens. I mean the chance of winning the lottery is next to nothing - and yet people do :)
(that said I think we can give the article a bit more credence than the one the other day stating it could have been a meteorite strike or something :D)
But in infinity 9 cases it doesnt matter - there is an SOP to get round the issue and the plane makes it to the destination.
Similairly multiple electronics failure requiring manual control of the plane probably isnt definitely fatal to a flight (otherwise there would be much stricter faiilsafes, right? look at the eurofighter which has 7 failsafes for some of the core systems - because it phyiscally CANNOT be flown manually - astounding technology btw, but OT :D).
And planes fly through bad storms and are hit by lightening almost daily with no risk.
The combination of loss of auto-pilot in a storm at an altitude that required precision flying - followed by the failure of one of the most crucial instruments involved in that failsafe process is obvioulsy the fault of statistics rather than negligence. In all the airbus planes that have flown for it to happen once is probably highly unlikely - but that doesnt mean it never happens. I mean the chance of winning the lottery is next to nothing - and yet people do :)
(that said I think we can give the article a bit more credence than the one the other day stating it could have been a meteorite strike or something :D)