The frequency, in which the term complacency is reported in the analysis of aviation accidents, compels the necessity to examine the possibility that automation induces complacency.
Over trust of automation is something referred to as complacency. Complacency can lead to a decreased monitoring of the system and a decreased likelihood of detecting system malfunctions.
In the incident investigation ASTB AO-2014-179 conducted by the Australian Safety Transport Bureau (ATSB), the findings of the investigation were that pilot distractions such as sun glare, air traffic control and cabin-related communication requirements and other air traffic in their vicinity, were all not uncommon but an additional distraction such as the acknowledgement…show more content… The final review of the investigation revealed that the crew had conducted the takeoff procedures out of sequence, in that the checklist was not completed again after the computer was reprogrammed. It also found that the crew was distracted by the weather situation surrounding Hobart. Both pilots were feeling the effects of a relatively long day and were nearing the end of a demanding series of duty days.
Psychologists have found that when we work with computers, we often fall victim to two cognitive ailments – complacency and bias – that can undercut our performance and lead to mistakes. Most of us have experienced complacency when at a computer. In using e-mail or word processing software, we become less proficient proofreaders when we know that a spell checker is at…show more content… The further extension of this issue is that the automation need not necessarily ‘fail’ in order to cause a problem of cognition for the pilot. In the Bangalore crash involving an Air India A320 the system did not fail per se but it did not behave the way the crew expected it to behave. By the time their effective monitoring alerted them to the problem there was insufficient time to intervene and prevent the impact with the ground.
Another incident also highlights this. An Air France Airbus A330 took off from Rio de Janeiro, bound for Paris. The jet ran into a storm over the Atlantic about three hours after takeoff. It’s air-speed sensors, coated with ice, began giving faulty readings, causing the autopilot to disengage. Bewildered, the pilot flying the plane, yanked back on the stick. The plane rose and a stall warning sounded, but the pilot continued to pull back needlessly. As the plane climbed sharply, it lost velocity. The airspeed sensors began working again, providing the crew with accurate numbers. Yet the pilot continued to slow the plane. The jet stalled and began to fall. If he had simply let go of the control, the A330 would likely have righted itself. But he