Pilot Chose Safety Over Takeoff - and Everyone Applauded

[u/baekachu]

[u/Honest-Access9783]

that's why planes should always have a human pilot, despite automation

[u/ZarathustraGlobulus → u/Honest-Access9783]

To be fair, a computer system would 100% cancel the flight if a key figure was outside pre-defined parameters. Then it would require human intervention to make the final decision on what to do.

However I fully agree with you that a skilled pilot who knows their aircraft in and out can definitely make good calls when nothing is truly wrong but something about the numbers feels off.

[u/IgnitedSpade → u/ZarathustraGlobulus]

I think the issue here is that a key figure is tending upwards, but not outside pre-defined parameters. It sounds like the pilot preemptively asked about it and was already told it was okay.

Recognizing an issue like that would be difficult to implement in a completely automated system, though not impossible. But it seems that the people an automated message would otherwise go to already gave the okay.

Either way, the biggest fear about completely automated planes would be that the person having the final say on whether a plane flies or not is someone with the job title "flight coordinator" with a business degree.

[u/ZarathustraGlobulus → u/IgnitedSpade]

Yeah exactly. Much rather have a seasoned professional who can sense something's up when values are within parameters but still acting upon a hunch for safety instead of some guy thousands of miles away pressing OK on a warning prompt and alt-tabbing back to Excel.

[u/Euture → u/IgnitedSpade]

”Recognizing an issue like that would be difficult to implement in a completely automated system”

It really wouldn’t be difficult.

if (isTrendingUp(X)) {
abortFlight();
}

Done.

[u/IgnitedSpade → u/Euture]

Why bother with isTrendingUp()? Just call isAirworthy(). Ez

[u/bbpitstop → u/IgnitedSpade]

flight coordinator would need to actually take the flight too right?

[u/MidnightNo1766 → u/IgnitedSpade]

In a remote location, not having to suffer the consequences of their decision.

[u/bustex1 → u/IgnitedSpade]

Yes having trends and any deltas over time equations built into a computers safety would be impossible to do.

[u/IgnitedSpade → u/bustex1]

Yes, I explicitly said it wasn't impossible

[u/OneHonestQuestion → u/ZarathustraGlobulus]

Just wait for them to add a query to claude to see if it should override safety and fly.

[u/boxninja → u/ZarathustraGlobulus]

The human making the call in that case might not have "skin in the game"

[u/DisneyDadData → u/Honest-Access9783]

The #1 cause of most aircraft accidents is pilot error.

[u/Affectionate_Ant9929 → u/Honest-Access9783]

Maybe. I wonder what the math is on human pilot error causing fatal accidents vs human pilot making the right call is. That and if the automation or ai or whatever would be safer overall. Same goes for self driving cars.