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MH370 missing en route to Beijing

Victor Ian

Victor Ian

Well-known member
I have no idea how autopilot works, but I wonder if it would be too hard a task to make it not allow for collision courses. I do know that the computer AI can follow me through an asteroid field quite well without hitting anything in Elite, and that game only costs $50.
 
cpr

cpr

Well-known member
Obviously within Elite the asteroids are contained within the game itself, knowing what they are and how they will react, wheras a mountain....


A radar device is an interesting concept, to me its big issues would be
A) Telling the difference between heading towards a big mass of land at speed, and not trying to land.
B) Stopping a pilot from just turning it off, as in this case

There's very few accidents caused by collisions in the scheme of things. Most are failures on board causing crashes. Most collision based accidents are on the ground (thinking Tenerife), but again, how does a radar quickly determine between objects that should be there (terminals, airplanes parked waiting to taxi etc) and those that shouldn't.

In the vast majority of cases, theres been a very accomplished pilot reacting to the incident and trying to prevent the accident. I don't think theres many cases where an extra warning system on whats outside would've helped a pilot save a plane.
 
zorax

zorax

likes this
The aircraft's flight control system already prevents a Pilot from attempting any maneuvers that would cause an engine stall, or put excess loads onto the structure of the plane, so in that case aircraft are pretty intelligent.

They also have sensors to measure how close you are to the ground, and several indicators warning you that you are too close. Some aircraft even have the capability to Autoland.

But I think it's a steep ask to develop some sort of software that prevents you from setting Autopilot to fly into a collision course. And in any case, as mentioned above, you could always disable it.
 
AndyZaltzHair

AndyZaltzHair

Well-known member
The thing is that autopilot mode still requires human input e.g. heading and altitude set by pilot and the system follows it meticulously. It's unlikely that any system incorporated will be able to control damage by itself unless we see machines flying passengers without pilots.
 
Top_Cat

Top_Cat

Well-known member
zorax said:
The aircraft's flight control system already prevents a Pilot from attempting any maneuvers that would cause an engine stall, or put excess loads onto the structure of the plane, so in that case aircraft are pretty intelligent.

They also have sensors to measure how close you are to the ground, and several indicators warning you that you are too close. Some aircraft even have the capability to Autoland.

But I think it's a steep ask to develop some sort of software that prevents you from setting Autopilot to fly into a collision course. And in any case, as mentioned above, you could always disable it.
Click to expand...
Yeah exactly. Define 'collision course' for one, then give the plane a way out of it (depending on how many holes in the cheese have lined up) and then......gas the guy still trying to crash the plane?
 
Top_Cat

Top_Cat

Well-known member
Simply put, there are no guarantees in life. Someone willing to do something as horrible as kill themselves a hell of a lot of people will come along occasionally. Lufthansa will probably find stuff they might have picked up on but **** me it's so damn difficult to assemble all factors of a suicidal/homicidal/criminal mind together in time, ask any copper. Can see already see all the Monday morning quarter-backing going on with this thing but they have the incredible luxury of dealing with it post-hoc and, better yet, not being in the group of people who have to do so for real. Have to temper the outrage with that.
 
Top_Cat

Top_Cat

Well-known member
Bit old now (about a month) but here we have a bloke with legit quals looking to find MH370 via analysis of contrails via image-processing of satellite data and not being a loonybin whackjob about it. This is a follow-up on his white paper from last year. I'm not that familiar with him and it's certainly not without it's faults (I really don't enjoy the lack of detail regarding his methods and processing steps and what detail there is, fairly crude stuff) but it's a contribution, I guess.
 
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Top_Cat

Top_Cat

Well-known member
Search update from JACC. Including some startlingly direct words:

In the absence of credible new information that leads to the identification of a specific location of the aircraft, Governments have agreed that there will be no further expansion of the search area.
Click to expand...
There it is, the first (I think) we're hearing of an end-point. Do the current sweep (50K of 120K to be searched has been towed) and that's it. So, probably another year.

Have a gander at what they're ploughing through to do it.

 
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Top_Cat

Top_Cat

Well-known member
Two articles of interest popping up of late. Based on the species of barnacles attached to the flaperon, German researchers have suggested that the search area is in the wrong place. Interesting new info in light of the all the other debris so far found on the island being not from MH370.

MH370: Neue Simulationen stellen Suchstrategie infrage - SPIEGEL ONLINE

(Passen Sie auf! Der Artikel ist in Deutsch)

And NYMag, clarifiying that, in opposition to Malaysian government statements on the matter, the flaperon has not yet been positively linked to MH370.

The Strange Saga of the MH370 Plane Part -- NYMag
 
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Burgey

Burgey

Well-known member
Abbott said he would find the plane when it first went missing. His fault. Where's the plane, Tony?
 
zorax

zorax

likes this
United Airlines should merge with Malaysian Airlines


This way they can beat people and no one will find out
 
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