Benefits
Flight envelope protection may allow a pilot to respond quickly to fast moving situations without worrying about pushing an aircraft too far. For example, a pilot might want to climb quickly to avoid something. Flight envelope protection might prevent the pilot from stalling the aircraft with a steep angle of attack.Risks
There are examples in aviation history of pilots successfully pushing an aircraft beyond its flight envelope in order to prevent an accident. This becomes impossible with flight envelope protection. Other risks include malfunctioning of the flight envelope protection itself. Pilots may become accustomed to the characteristics of flight envelope protection and be more prone to mistakes if it shuts down due to factors such as damaged measurement instruments.| Overview: Flight Envelope Protection | ||
Type | Safety by Design | |
Definition | A system that prevents pilots from pushing an aircraft beyond its structural and aerodynamic limits. | |
Value | Human-error preventionAllows pilots to react quickly without need to calculate operational limits. | |
Related Concepts | Human ErrorError TolerancePokayokeSafety by DesignRisk | |
