Automatic TOGA Triggering for Landing Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fatal aircraft accidents often occur during final descent and landing due to inappropriate landing techniques, such as long or short landings, incorrect landing configurations, runway incursions, and high speeds, largely because pilots are unaware of impending safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
A flight deck system and method that automatically or coordinately triggers a Take-Off and Go-Around (TOGA) maneuver by monitoring various aircraft and flight data, providing advisories to the crew, and executing the maneuver if safety hazards are detected, allowing for safer landing procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the pilot manually monitors flight data during approach and landing, then the pilot maintains situational awareness, but the pilot may fail to detect safety hazards in time leading to accidents
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically monitors flight parameters and triggers TOGA maneuvers without requiring continuous pilot intervention. The controller self-monitors approach data, detects hazards, and executes corrective actions, reducing reliance on manual pilot monitoring while improving detection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors flight parameters and provides feedback to the pilot through advisories and automatic TOGA triggering when hazards are detected. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures safety hazards are detected and addressed promptly, improving reliability without requiring complex manual monitoring procedures.
2Reliability
If the system automatically triggers TOGA maneuver without pilot input, then accident risk is reduced, but the pilot loses control over the maneuver execution
Solution Approach 1:
The system arms the automatic TOGA function in advance during approach, but the actual TOGA maneuver is only triggered automatically when a hazard is detected and the pilot does not override within a predetermined time. This preliminary arming without immediate execution preserves pilot control while preparing the system for automatic intervention if needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts between manual and automatic control modes. The pilot can override the automatic TOGA trigger at any time before execution, and the system transitions from an armed state to either manual pilot-initiated TOGA or automatic TOGA execution based on pilot response, maintaining operational flexibility and pilot authority.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system provides multiple modes of TOGA triggering, then adaptability to different operational scenarios is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides multiple TOGA triggering modes (automatic execution, advisory with automatic backup, and advisory only) within a single unified controller. This multi-functional design allows the same system to adapt to different operational scenarios and pilot preferences without requiring separate systems, achieving versatility while managing complexity through integration.
Data Source
AI summary
A method in an aircraft is disclosed. The method includes: arming an automatic TOGA flight operating mode when a predetermined condition has been detected, and monitoring for a TOGA trigger condition. When operating in a first mode, the method includes: generating and causing a TOGA advisory to be provided to flight crew, advising that an automatic TOGA will be executed, and triggering and causing the TOGA to be executed. When operating according in a second mode, the method includes: generating and causing a TOGA advisory to be provided to flight crew, advising the flight crew to manually trigger a TOGA, and triggering and causing the TOGA to be executed if the flight crew did not trigger the TOGA. When operating in a third mode, generating, and causing a TOGA advisory to be provided to flight crew and advising the flight crew to manually trigger a TOGA.