Interfaces between Flightcrews and Modern Flight Deck Systems

摘要

On April 26, 1994, an Airbus A300-600 operated by China Airlines crashed at211u001eNagoya, Japan, killing 264 passengers and flightcrew members. Contributing to the 211u001eaccident were conflicting actions taken by the flightcrew and the airplanes 211u001eautopilot. The crash provided a stark example of how a breakdown in the 211u001eflightcrew/automation interface can affectflight safety. Although this particular 211u001eaccident involved an A300-600, other accidents, incidents, and safety indicators 211u001edemonstrate that this problem is not confined to any one airplane type, airplane 211u001emanufacturer, operator, or geographical region. This point was tragically 211u001edemonstrated by the crash of a Boeing 757 operated by American Airlines near 211u001eCali, Columbia on December 20, 1995, and a November 12, 1995 incident (very 211u001enearly a fatal accident) in which an American Airlines Douglas MD-80 descended 211u001ebelow the minimum descent altitude on approach to Bradley International Airport, 211u001eCT, clipped the tops of trees, and landed short of the runway.As a result of the 211u001eNagoya accident, as well as other incidents and accidents that appear to 211u001ehighlight difficulties in flightcrews interacting with flight deck automation, 211u001ethe FAAs Transport Airplane Directorate, under the approval of the Director, 211u001eAircraft Certification Service, launched a study to evaluate the 211u001eflightcrew/flight deck automation interfaces ofcurrent generation transport 211u001ecategory airplanes. This report is the culmination of that study.