The Dangers of Automation in Airliners

Automation in aviation can be a lifesaver, expertly guiding a plane and its passengers through stormy weather to a safe landing. Or it can be a murderer, crashing an aircraft and killing all on board in the mistaken belief that it is doing the right thing.Lawrence Sperry invented the autopilot just ten years after the Wright brothers first flight in 1903. But progress was slow for the next three decades. Then came the end of the Second World War and the jet age. Thats when the real trouble began.Aviation automation has been pushed to its limits, with pilots increasingly relying on it. Autopilot, autothrottle, autoland, flight management systems, air data systems, inertial guidance systems. All these systems are only as good as their inputs which, incredibly, can go rogue. Even the automation itself is subject to unpredictable failure. Can automation account for every possible eventuality?And what of the pilots? They began flight training with their...

About the Author: Jack Hersch is an expert in the field of troubled and distressed companies. He is a strategic advisor to corporate managements and investment institutions, has served as a corporate board member, and has guest-lectured in the business schools of M.I.T., U.S.C., and U.C. Berkeley, among others. This is his first non-fiction book. He lives in New York City.