A recent article notes that apparently the crash of Spanair flight 5022 had as a major contributing factor a compromised warning system computer, which resulted in no audible alarm when the pilots attempted to take off with the flaps and slats retracted. (This is a Bad Thing.)
Here’s the scary part: The computer had apparently been compromised due to malware that had somehow been installed (suggesting to me that it was likely running Windows or another popular consumer operating system.)
I’m all for the use of modern technology in aircraft; engine management computers and other systems can make aircraft safer, more reliable, and much more efficient. Of course, as with all aviation systems, they ought to be thoroughly checked out before being allowed to control critical aircraft functions. One corollary to this is that large, complex, unverified operating systems should *not* be used to run systems in charge of essential functions. I sincerely hope that there has been a misunderstanding in this case. We don’t yet know all there is to know about aviation safety, of course — but not using consumer-grade software in critical systems should be as big a no-brainer as making sure that the wings are bolted on securely.
