Pilot Pulls Wrong Throttle, Kills 43; Tennessee Train Crash Releases Toxic Fumes, 5,000 Evacuated; Robot-Preventable Accidents

Improper training of a Taiwan pilot took the lives of 43 people in February. In a report just released, the pilot's last recorded words were "wow, pulled back the wrong side throttle".

Please consider TransAsia Crash Pilot Pulled Wrong Throttle, Shut Down Sole Working Engine.

The captain of a TransAsia Airways ATR mistakenly switched off the plane’s only working engine seconds before it crashed in February, killing 43 people, Taiwan’s Aviation Safety Council (ASC) said in its latest report on Thursday.

The ASC’s report also showed that Captain Liao Jian-zong, who was at the controls, had failed simulator training in May 2014, in part because he had insufficient knowledge of how to deal with an engine flame-out on take-off.

“Wow, pulled back the wrong side throttle,” Liao, 41, was heard to say on voice recordings seconds before the crash.

There appeared to be confusion in the cockpit as the two captains tried to regain control of the plane after the other engine lost power about three minutes into the doomed flight.

Robots the Solution

• There is no way a robot would have pulled the wrong throttle.
• There is no way a robot would have flown planes into the twin towers on 911.
• There is no way a robot would have Purposely Crashed Germanwings Flight 9525 killing all 150 people.

Don't email me with security issues because I am 100% confident that any security issues related to software hijacking etc. can easily be solved  

Gratefully, there are not that many plane crashes, but every time they do happen, I keep asking "Why?"

The same question applies to trains, even more so. There have been several major train crashes in recent years. 

An autopilot never would have crashed any of the above planes and would have surely prevented many spectacular train crashes as well. Yet there is no discussion of how to use technology to prevent disasters like these.

While looking up train crashes (preceding link), I noticed this report from just eight hours ago: 5,000 Evacuated in Tennessee After Train Crash Releases Toxic Fumes.

I speculate engineer failure, likely driving too fast.

On March 24, 2014, a CTA Blue Line Derailment at O'Hare Injured 32. Officials say the accident was caused by the train operator falling asleep.

Driver Error

Similarly, driver error is the main cause of truck accidents. Truck drivers who are improperly trained, sleepy, drug or alcohol impaired, or simply driving too fast are responsible for the vast majority of accidents.

Although air pilot restrictions are stronger and more easily enforced than trucking restrictions, consequences of pilot error are more pronounced.

It's been nearly 14 years since 911, yet unlike trucks, there have been no noticeable advances in pilot robotics.

Why?
And why do we still have humans driving trains?

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com