Lessons from an airline crash investigation

Discussion in 'Trucking Accidents' started by Lepton1, Jun 24, 2014.

  1. Lepton1

    Lepton1 Road Train Member

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    This is an excellent article with the results of the NTSB investigation of the Asiana airlines crash in San Francisco:

    http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/artic...elied-on-automated-systems-5575081.php#page-1

    Note the assessment that pilot misunderstanding of how the automated flight controls functioned may have contributed to the crash, and when the pilot was informed of how they worked he was "astonished".

    From a truck safety point of view this brings to mind the issues many truckers have raised with new technology being added to trucks, such as OnGuard, which can countermand control inputs from a driver or create inputs that are unexpected and may be detrimental to safe driving. As new drivers are trained into the industry this represents a real hazard. VERY few drivers will be able to understand the parameters of the system, many systems will be poorly calibrated, and false positive or false negative inputs will either generate sudden, unexpected, and unwarranted braking; or even worse, drivers may come to rely on the system to overcome their poor driving habits like tail gating.

    I for one will NOT drive any truck with OnGuard or similar systems. The risk is too great.
     
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  3. dog-c

    dog-c Road Train Member

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    I have bendix on mine. Both the roll stability detectors and the front radar device that tells the ever so informed management my every move when it comes to following distance.

    In addition! If you have three red bars (meaning less than .50 second following distance) the brakes automatically activate, irrespective if someone is behind you or not. A report is sent to my supervisor telling him the incident location, speed before the incident, following distance per 1/8 mile prior, and 1/8 mile after.....

    if you go around a corner too steep, too fast, the brakes activate. Again, the executive team at jb hunt insist on having these devices and want to hold our hands every step of the way!

    I personally dont don't care about the devices, fine, except in the Bronx and Long Island where the probability of these alarms going off is three fold compared to i84 west/east to conn.
     
  4. gpsman

    gpsman Road Train Member

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    Seems a lot of assumption. You see a lot of drivers out there struggling to overcome their poor driving habits... or something...?

    Exactly how many truck crashes in which "new technology" was found to be a contributing factor are we talking about...?
     
  5. Passin Thru

    Passin Thru Road Train Member

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    Who the hell cares. I won't have it either. What stupid technology. If you drive NY to DC the #### thing will wear out the brakes on July 4th weekend. If it saves your life, fine but don't put it on me. I was on I 40 in 1985, driving a KW with a 290 in wheel base and torsion bar suspension. I had stopped for coffe at the 71 mm and driven to the 150. The torsion bar broke on the right side between the tandems allowing the frame to collapse and drop the trailer onto the front driver. This caused it to lock up and flip the truck all in 1.5 seconds and you tell me how your electronic brakes would have saved me from that wreck. Usless garbage.
     
  6. SteveH85396

    SteveH85396 Road Train Member

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    WTF has this to do with driving a truck??????

    The average truck driver couldn't START most jet engines let alone taxi an airliner.

    That said most airline pilots couldn't get a class 8 truck to move.
     
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  7. TankerP

    TankerP Road Train Member

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    I'm afraid you're oversimplifying this issue a tad bit. The triple 7 has more technology on it's left landing gear than any technology available for trucks put together. I'm afraid that comparing the complexities of the technologies between these two systems is silly.
     
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  8. NewGuyOnTheBlock

    NewGuyOnTheBlock Light Load Member

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    Lepton: What additional training would you suggest for drivers chained to the OnGuard or similar systems?
     
  9. gpsman

    gpsman Road Train Member

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    I think it's more closely related to crashing a truck. The similarities of aviation and truck crashes vastly outnumber the differences... both are usually the result of significant and easily avoidable pilot error.

    What this report accentuates is how a crew of 3 experienced pilots, regardless of lack of experience in that type aircraft, can miss the fundamentally obvious right in front of their faces until it's too late to avoid the crash

    Lepton1 suggests this crash may be attributable to over-reliance on automated systems... increasingly being used in trucks in the form of collision/crash-avoidance technology, that presumably can lead to pilot complacency.

    It's an interesting and plausible premise, but the Asiana crash is a better example of piss-poor piloting... and maybe pilot training.

    "...as many as 30 errors that cascaded from minor and correctable 14 miles out of San Francisco..."

    14 miles at 250 kts. (a typical "approach" speed) = 2:55, almost 3 minutes (not including throttling back to landing speed).
     
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  10. dennisroc

    dennisroc Road Train Member

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    Piece of cake ; )
     
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  11. walstib

    walstib Darkstar

    How to fill out job apps with carriers that don't use them! ;-)
     
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