Malware Contributed To Plane Crash?

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    Malware Contributed To Plane Crash?


    Posted: 23 Aug 2010
    Spanish authorities investigating the crash of Spanair flight 5022 in Madrid have found that malware may have contributed to the accident, which occurred two years ago, killing 154 people on board. Only 18 survived the crash and subsequent fire. The Spanish agency charged with investigating the accident has listed the official cause as pilot error, because the pilots failed to extend the MD-80 airplane's takeoff flaps and slats, which would have helped the airplane to rise. Instead, the plane stalled just seconds after takeoff.

    Article...
    Posted By: Win7User512
    23 Aug 2010



  1. Posts : 276
    HP Win7 Pro x64 | Custom Win7 Pro x64
       #1

    This is complicated.. I find it hard to lay blame on the pilots, but: An aircraft of this type, there's a lot going on, and so you have a checklist. When doing this, they should have lowered the flaps, adjusted trim, etc etc, regardless of the warning, however; over time Pilots do get used to the aircraft's systems aiding them, and they may in fact have "depended" on the warning to tell them. It's very hard to judge, but ultimately, I would blame both the pilots and the system. It's hard to imagine why they would not set the flaps, you simply don't have enough lift to take off, certainly in an aircraft of that size and type.
    Although it certainly is possible they simply didn't lower the flaps, for whatever reason, and the lack of a warning caused the accident. It happens, not often in Jets though.

    There's a reason you have a crew, not just one pilot. It's incredible to me the captain and co-pilot "both" made the same mistake, at the same time. The co-pilot runs down the list, and calls it out, it's either set, or not, and you don't need a "warning" to see the flaps, or other systems are not where they should be, it's just a fail safe. Amazing really.

    I've never even come close to a mistake of this kind, so it's hard for me to imagine they simply forgot, but it's possible.

    I'm very interested in exactly how this malware worked, and how it infected the aircraft's systems.
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  2. Posts : 3,139
    Systems 1 and 2: Windows 7 Enterprise x64, Win 8 Developer
       #2

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  3. Posts : 2,963
    Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit
       #3

    Based on the article, it looks like that certain people not doing everything they were supposed to was the main cause, but malware definitely kept the pilots from knowing how bad their mistakes were.
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  4. Posts : 1,487
    Windows 7 x64 / Same
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Nice. How did you find that?
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  5. Posts : 3,139
    Systems 1 and 2: Windows 7 Enterprise x64, Win 8 Developer
       #5

    Win7User512 said:
    Nice. How did you find that?
    My network admin has it on his door.
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  6. Posts : 43
    Windows 7 (64bit)
       #6

    I cannot, and wont comment upon this specific accident, but, as a retired Boeing Captain, I know that strict adherence to check-lists have saved my bacon better than any software has. Being rushed and skipping check-lists are a recipe for disaster. Some may have called me a git, in the past, but I have now grown to be an old git.

    Rhammstein Spot on.

    Lemur A true gem, thanks
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  7. Posts : 3,139
    Systems 1 and 2: Windows 7 Enterprise x64, Win 8 Developer
       #7

    johndh said:
    I cannot, and wont comment upon this specific accident, but, as a retired Boeing Captain, I know that strict adherence to check-lists have saved my bacon better than any software has. Being rushed and skipping check-lists are a recipe for disaster. Some may have called me a git, in the past, but I have now grown to be an old git.

    Rhammstein Spot on.

    Lemur A true gem, thanks
    Like a crash here. You would know the runway is also the direction. By looking at a compass heading, they would have known they were on the wrong runway, which was UNLIT and under repairs. Everyone died except for the co-pilot. Simple low tech compass would have saved lives.
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  8. Posts : 592
    WIN7 Ultimate 64bit
       #8

    johndh said:
    I cannot, and wont comment upon this specific accident, but, as a retired Boeing Captain, I know that strict adherence to check-lists have saved my bacon better than any software has. Being rushed and skipping check-lists are a recipe for disaster. Some may have called me a git, in the past, but I have now grown to be an old git.

    Rhammstein Spot on.

    Lemur A true gem, thanks
    Intel 1086 CPU's still run many of the flight systems & keep the older jumbos (and many others) flying!
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  9. Posts : 43
    Windows 7 (64bit)
       #9

    Lemur,

    I nearly had a DanAir 727 land on top of me on the Taxiway, back in the 80's. And there are plenty of documented incidents of planes landing at wrong airports, let alone the wrong runway. My opening words in my approach and landing briefing: "This will be an approach to land on runway ## at airport xyz, the inbound qdm is ###, descision height is ###"

    Simple low tech compass would have saved lives.
    Yup, totally agree.

    Intel 1086 CPU's still run many of the flight systems & keep the older jumbos (and many others) flying!
    Scary stuff, that's why there is two of everything.
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