Black swans

Training for the unexpected in an age of automation

“Once an automated system requiring human intervention fails, operators – because of being out of the loop – are deskilled in just those very activities that require their contributions. ” University of Southern California engineering professor and aviation safety expert Najmedin Meshkati’s summation of cockpit automation has a sobering ring as the aviation industry comes to grips not only with the interim accident report of AF447, but also of other automation failures and the apparent deskilling of pilots.

Prof Meshkati warns that the aviation industry and its regulators have become “star struck by technological solutions” as a result of aircraft such as the 777 having fatality free records in commercial service.

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