One of the less often considered aspects of situational awareness in the cockpit is the element of knowing what the ‘guy in the other seat is doing’. This is a particularly important part of cockpit error management because without a shared understanding of what someone is doing it’s supremely difficult to detect errors. The replacement of the central control stick with side stick ‘glass’ controllers eliminates a little acknowledged means of coordinating a common understanding of control inputs between aircrew with the potential for a hazardous loss of crew error management.
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Reading through the BEA’s precis of the data contained on AF447′s Flight Data Recorder you find that during the final minutes of AF447 the aircrafts stall warning ceased, even though the aircraft was still stalled. This loss of stall warning removed a significant cue to the aircrew that they had flown the aircraft into a deep stall, undoubtedly adding to their confusion. SU4CF4KDVSWQ
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Because they have typically pitch unity ratios (1:1) scales, aircraft primary flight displays provide a pitch display that is limited by the vertical field of view. This display can move very rapidly and be difficult to use in unusual attitude recoveries becoming another adverse performance shaping factor for aircrew in such a scenario. Trials by the USAF have conclusively demonstrated that an articulated style of pitch ladder can reduce disorientation of aircrew in such situations.
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Knowing the outcome of an accident flight does not ‘explain’ the accident
Hindsight bias and it’s mutually reinforcing cognitive cousin the just world hypothesis are traditional parts of public comment on a major air accident investigation when pilot error is revealed as a causal factor. The public comment in various forum after the release of the BEA’s precis on AF447 is no exception.
This post is part of the Airbus aircraft family and system safety thread.
The BEA has released a precis of the data contained on AF447′s Flight Data Recorder and we can know look into the cockpit of AF447 in those last terrifying minutes.
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