the rapid and major improvements
Aviation Technology
Todays aviation industry has seen a
tremendous leap forward since the
Wright brothers first took flight in
the Wright flyer with only a control
yoke and a chain system to power
the engine. Since then pilots and
their aircraft have become more
assimilated to one another. Both
pilot and airplane have seen major
improvements and updates in
training, airframes, power plants and
more so avionics. Todays aircraft
cockpits are moving from old
traditional steam gauges to more
reliant computer systems
manufactured by a variety of
computer companies. More
specifically the cockpit, which today
has seen a great deal of upgrades in
avionics systems, has never been
safer and more reliable than before.
Moreover, A famous quote by
Emilia Earhart-the first female pilot
to solo across the Atlantic, attempts
to falsify the common nature of a
pilot relying on his instruments for
complete guidance states that it is
the sole responsibility of pilot to
fly the aircraft with his head not
his instruments. This quote
emphasizes the point that despite all
made to aircraft, a pilot should be
not considered safe if he or she
cannot manoeuvre their aircraft
without relying solely on
instruments for guidance.
An air crash investigation report
published on the Avionics website
and sourced from the NTSC; the
government organisation linked to
the FAA that is responsible for
carrying out investigation and
research related to aircraft incidents
in Indonesia supports my thesis of
pilots being over-confident and
relying on avionics too much for
guidance as they consider them (fail
proof) and safe as deemed by their
manufacturers. Their crash of
AirAsia flight 8501 in late 2015 was
caused by a series of aircraft
technical failures and the way the
pilots responded to them according
to the National Transportation
Safety Committee NTSC. In the
report, investigators concluded that
the failure of the Airbus A320s
Rudder Travel Limiter Units
(RTLUs) and the pilots response to
the malfunction ultimately lead to
the crash. A cracked solder joint
and the inability of the airmen to
realise the error and act in the
alternate law from that displayed on
the damaged Rudder Travel Limiter
was declared to have been the main
cause of this crash. Pilot action
resulted in the 5th and 6th master
caution activation and led to auto-
thrust disengagement and a
prolonged stall.
Then again aviation experts, of
course, may want to question the
relation between the complex
sophisticated systems installed an
A320 and those in a much smaller
propeller aircraft. However my
emphasis here is not to categorize
avionics but rather identify the
unsafe behaviour shown by todays
pilots in regards to their instruments.
On one hand, I agree that todays
avionics have somewhat improved
safety in our skies. But on the other
hand, I still insist that pilots
reconsider how they navigate and
use their instruments while flying
and acknowledge the fact that
nothing in their cockpit is fail
proof. This will improve the way
they act in emergencies such as that
of flight QZ8501 and maybe one day
save someones life or even theirs.

BY Rennize Nyaoro
Work cited; Avionics, AirAsia Flight
8501 Crash Caused by Pilot Error,
Rudder Units. By Woodrow
Bellamy, December 3rd 2015. -
http://www.aviationtoday.com/201
5/12/03/airasia-flight-8501-crash-
caused-by-pilot-error-rudder-units/