Why Airplanes Crash Despite All Our Technology

If you are a frequent air traveler, you are probably familiar with some of the technology and automation used to control today’s flights. Between the air traffic controllers and the pilots, much of the decisions and communication are controlled by sophisticated equipment and computer programs in an effort to minimize risk for everyone involved. However, automation has not eliminated the dangers of flying completely – airplane crashes and problems still happen, despite all of our technological advances. Unfortunately, automation has changed the kinds of mistakes that are made, but has not necessarily eliminated the chance of a crash occurring. Conversely, in some situations – like runway collisions – a lack of good technology is actually the problem.

Top concern – runway collisions

The dramatic increase in air travel over the last decade means that airports are more crowded than ever before. Currently one of the top concerns at the NTSB is runway safety, which has been an issue for a number of years. Following a record 405 runway incursions in 2000, the FAA has been trying to study the problem and establish runway safety offices in order to reduce the number of these preventable collisions. Surprisingly, many airports lack reliable ground-control radars that officials believe could reduce the chances of a runway accident.

Progress towards reducing these collisions has been difficult, with radar systems that are sometimes turned off by air traffic controllers because they cause distracting false alarms and because staff levels at the FAA’s runway safety office were cut in half last year. In fact, late last year the rate of serious incursions per million flights increased a shocking fourfold from the previous year, which indicated to some experts that pilots and controllers were becoming complacent about the seriousness of runway collisions. This is a situation where lack of good technological solution could be exacerbating a problem caused by so-called “human factors”.

Are pilots becoming too dependent on computers?

On the other hand, some experts are wondering if today’s pilots are becoming over-reliant on computers to do their flying for them. These experts claim that as the use of computer software in airline automation increases, computer glitches are also on the rise. In fact, a researcher at the University of Texas claims that they’ve seen accidents happen because pilots were so busy trying to reprogram their flight computer that they weren’t paying attention to what was going on outside their window.

Experts also worry that as pilots become more familiar with and more dependent on technology their basic “stick and rudder” skills are waning. This is of concern, because these basic flight skills are what become crucial if the onboard computer systems fail and the pilot has to take manual control from the automatic system. So, while the lack of a technological solution is causing problems on the ground, an overdependence on technology might be breeding problems in the air. And what about these software programs we’ve become so dependent on to solve our problems? They themselves can be part of the problem.

Increasingly complex computer software – more glitches?

Software on today’s airplanes can contain well over 5 million lines of computer code. These large computer programs can be very difficult for programmers to test, and as a result hidden glitches can cause unforeseen problems during flight. The most often cited example of a software problem is from 2005, when the autopilot on a Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 repeatedly tried to ascend rapidly for no known reason. The pilot and crew were eventually able to regain control of the aircraft, and a bug in a recently installed computer program was found to be responsible for the frightening incident.

The same year, computers cut fuel to two of the four engines on a Virgin Atlantic A340, a problem which was solved by creative thinking on the part of the airplane’s crew. Last year, JetBlue had to remove all 26 of its E-190s aircraft from service for 3 days to fix a software glitch. While no computer program bug has been blamed for a crash – yet – advances in the automation and sophistication of nearly every aspect of an airplane’s functions concern those who worry about our increasing reliance on technology.

Regardless of the cause, no passenger, pilot, or bystander deserves to suffer injuries or death from an airplane crash. If you or someone you love has been injured in an airplane crash, please contact Vujasinovic & Beckcom today to discuss how we can work with you to secure the justice that you deserve for your pain and suffering.

Vujasinovic & Beckcom P.L.L.C
1001 Texas Avenue, Suite 1020
Houston, TX 77002
Phone: 713.224.7800
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