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Relying Too Much on Computers by Britt Storkson Owner, P2FlowLLC Those who have read my articles in the past know I am very much an advocate of computer controls. I make them and use them in a wide variety of applications. This technology is great and it’s not going away any time soon; but along with every privilege comes a responsibil- ity. If this technology is going to “free up” the operators to deal with the “higher level” tasks by attending to the minutiae, we must ensure this “safety net” does not become a hammock. By this, I mean we are getting to the point that computers are getting so refined and sophisticated they can almost replace the human operator, but “almost” does not mean the ability to deal with any and every issue that comes along. Because computers are able to do so many things so well, it is easy to forget there are limits to everything. There are also times when the computer may cede control to the operator - which may or may not be obvious to the operator, resulting in the scenario where neither the computer nor the human operator is in control. This, combined with the operator not fully understand- ing what the control systems can or cannot do, has resulted in fatal conse- quences. In my June 2014 WWDR article, I explored how the Asiana Flight 214 crash was a good example of how knowledge of something and understand- ing that knowledge, mix. CNN reported: “. . . But the more complex automation becomes, the more challenging it is to ensure that the pilots adequately understand it," Christopher Hart, the acting safety board chairman said in a statement. “In this instance, the flight crew over-relied on automated systems that they did not fully understand. As a result, they flew the aircraft too low and too slow and collided with the seawall at the end of the runway.” In a National Transportation Safety Board press release about the Asiana flight 214 crash: “. . . the flight crew over-relied on automated systems without fully understanding how they interacted.” There are several good articles dealing with the issue of overreliance on computers causing aircraft incidents. One article by William Langewiesche on Vanity Fair online is “Should Airplanes Be Flying Themselves?” It’s a long but excellent read. In this article, the author explores the events leading up to the crash of Air France Flight 447 May 31/June 1, 2009. As has been the case with almost every airplane incident involving overreliance and misunderstanding of the aircraft’s control systems, this was a totally adequate aircraft. Nothing malfunctioned to the point it would cause a crash. The airplane did experience the temporary failure of the airspeed sensors, which was a known issue and, had the pilots responded correctly, would have not caused any problems. Basically what happened is the pilot, not fully understanding what the aircraft’s automation system was doing or not doing, created a stall condition from which the airplane did not recover. It literally fell out of the sky and hit the ocean at about 125 miles per hour, instantly killing all onboard. At times it was dropping vertically faster than it was moving forward horizontally, even though the engines were at full thrust and capable of propelling the aircraft to nearly the speed of sound. A common theme contained in these articles is: while automation is great, it must be properly applied - meaning it must be applicable or relevant to the task and not burden the operator with unrelated diversions. Your aircraft autopilot should not run your coffee maker, even if it is capable and cost-effective to do so. Your aircraft autopilot should not be overly complex - not because people are dumb, but because even the best people (operators) have limits. We have all sorts of limits. We have limited intellect. We have limited resources - be it reference manuals or training tools. We have limited physical, emotional, and mental endurance. It’s not a bad thing per se, but it is what it is. The machine should not assume operator attention or anything else is unlimited - because it isn’t. In the next few articles, I will explore this topic in greater detail. Britt Britt Storkson may be contacted via e-mail to michele@worldwidedrillingresource.com 39 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® JUNE 2018 Dealmakers FRASTE S.p.A. of Nogara, Italy, was honored to deliver a FRASTE Multidrill XL rig to the Fiji Islands Government. The lightweight, high-powered rig is perfectly suitable for water well drilling in the island environment. FRASTE S.p.A. Send your deals to: michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com Follow the WWDR Team to a Successful Marketing Program