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Lessons learned from an historical look at flight testingA brief historical review of accidents was made to examine lessons learned in flight testing with major emphasis on human factors limitations. The results of this survey show undeniably that new aircraft and new pilots are not immune to old problems. Of three related human factors limitations, pilot skill frequently showed up as the primary factor responsible for accidents due to inadequate training (or proficiency) to handle an unexpected situation. A primary contributing factor was unsatisfactory aircraft handling qualities which increased pilot work load and therefore were less forgiving to 'pilot error,' particularly when flown in a stressful situation at the extremes of the flight envelope. Historically, pilot induced oscillation (PIO) has persisted as a major control problem particularly in first-flight operation. Deliberate errors involving a conscious decision to 'take a chance' by flying an aircraft with known deficiencies occurred more frequently in early times. Finally, inadvertent errors involving forgetfulness, indecision, and confusion are occurring more frequently with the current trend toward automated computerized controlled cockpits.
Document ID
19930010715
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Anderson, Seth B.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
October 1, 1992
Publication Information
Publication: AGARD, Flight Testing
Subject Category
Aircraft Design, Testing And Performance
Accession Number
93N19904
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
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