The Autopilot Problem

Abstract

In 2009, AirFrance Flight 447 disappeared from the skies over the Atlantic Ocean. Like many aviation disasters, there was no one single cause for the crash; the causes included the functioning of the aircraft and the reaction of the crew. However, this was a groundbreaking incident because it highlighted the impact of the interaction between the crew and the automation technology that helps them to operate the aircraft.

During the flight, the pitot tubes, which measure airspeed, on the aircraft iced up. As a result of this, the aircraft transitioned from “normal law” to “alternate law”. The pilots correctly recognized that, as part of this transition, autopilot disengaged, and they resumed manual operation of the aircraft. What the pilots did not know, because it was not part of their certification to operate the aircraft, was that some other systems, such as the one that would work to prevent stall, also disengaged.