4 ms·

To me MCAS looks like an ugly software hack implemented to save money on redesigning a plane and re-training pilots. It brings several problems: - it is diffic

To me MCAS looks like an ugly software hack implemented to save money on redesigning a plane and re-training pilots. It brings several problems: - it is difficult for pilots to understand how MCAS works, and how to diagnose failures. They are not programmers or engineers. And MCAS doesn't provide any debugging information about its work anyway. And pilots don't have time to analyze it. - it adds new points of failure - sometimes there are situations when automatic systems shut down and pilots have to control everything manually. With MCAS, they would have more things to look after. Pilots who got used to flying with autopilot are usually not comfortable with manual flight, and systems like MCAS only make things more complicated for them. An example is a recent crash of SSJ100 in Moscow where experienced pilots failed to land a plane manually after autopilot has turned off. So I think that plane designers should be very careful with adding more automatic controls. Especially if their purpose is only to save money at cost of making place less safer.

manigandham 7y ago
Yes, that's what I said. The artificial behavior would be fine if the pilots actually knew it was artificial and how it was being done. That lack of understanding and training is the critical error, made worse by a poorly designed system that failed too easily.
- acqq 7y ago
  > The artificial behavior would be fine if the pilots actually knew it was artificial and how it was being done. If I remember correctly, the behavior you promote as "fine" is forbidden by the regulators, and not accidentally.
  - manigandham 7y ago
    If it’s prohibited then how was it certified?
    - acqq 7y ago
      > If it’s prohibited then how was it certified? Without the active MCAS the plane would have not been certified because the behavior of controls is then not inside of the prescribed limits.
      - manigandham 7y ago
        I was talking about the the artificial behavior, so if it was certified then it was deemed allowable to have a stability control system maintain the necessary behavior. If the plane must have natural behavior, then MCAS would not allow it to be certified because it's artificial control.
        acqq 7y ago
        Then I misunderstood your point, sorry.

manigandham 7y ago

Yes, that's what I said. The artificial behavior would be fine if the pilots actually knew it was artificial and how it was being done. That lack of understanding and training is the critical error, made worse by a poorly designed system that failed too easily.

acqq 7y ago
> The artificial behavior would be fine if the pilots actually knew it was artificial and how it was being done. If I remember correctly, the behavior you promote as "fine" is forbidden by the regulators, and not accidentally.
- manigandham 7y ago
  If it’s prohibited then how was it certified?
  - acqq 7y ago
    > If it’s prohibited then how was it certified? Without the active MCAS the plane would have not been certified because the behavior of controls is then not inside of the prescribed limits.
    - manigandham 7y ago
      I was talking about the the artificial behavior, so if it was certified then it was deemed allowable to have a stability control system maintain the necessary behavior. If the plane must have natural behavior, then MCAS would not allow it to be certified because it's artificial control.
      - acqq 7y ago
        Then I misunderstood your point, sorry.