[SystemSafety] Autopilot interface?

[David Crocker]

Bar Yehuda airport (close to the Dead Sea) is 1240ft below seal level.
So it is possible that setting the autopilot to 0ft altitude might make
sense when flying in this area.

David Crocker, Escher Technologies Ltd.
http://www.eschertech.com
Tel. +44 (0)20 8144 3265 or +44 (0)7977 211486

On 08/11/2018 12:26, Michael J. Pont wrote:
> A report on the BBC website of a flight incident earlier this year:
> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46137445
>
> According to the BBC:
>
> --- BEGIN QUOTE ---
>
> The plane climbed to 1,500ft, but then pitched and "descended rapidly" because autopilot was set with a target altitude of 0ft.
>
> Staff reported that the plane "had become visual with the ground", and the report said the aircraft had reached a maximum rate of descent of 4,300ft/min.
>
> --- END QUOTE ---
>
> I've never had responsibility for the design of an autopilot interface, but I'd have thought that you'd probably want to make it difficult to set a target height of 0 ft under these conditions?
>
> Michael.
>
> Michael J. Pont
> SafeTTy Systems Ltd.
>
>
>
>
>
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