Autonomous Flight Controls for Pilot Incapacitation and Engine Failure
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current avionics systems lack capabilities to navigate an aircraft safely in case of pilot incapacitation or mechanical malfunction, limiting them to maintaining course, heading, and altitude without providing adequate safe navigation or emergency landing solutions.
Innovation Solution
A flight controls system that dynamically determines safe zones and navigation paths, engages a safe mode, monitors threats, and provides a flight plan to a Flight Management System (FMS) to autonomously navigate the aircraft to a safe zone, and prioritizes potential landing sites in case of engine failure, allowing for automatic navigation and emergency landing procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional automatic flight control systems are used to maintain course, heading, and altitude, then basic flight stability is achieved, but the system lacks capability to navigate safely in case of pilot incapacitation or mechanical malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-determines multiple safe zones and navigation paths to these zones before any emergency occurs. When pilot incapacitation or mechanical malfunction is detected, the system can immediately execute one of the pre-planned navigation paths without requiring real-time decision-making, thereby providing reliable safe navigation capability while managing system complexity through advance preparation
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically determines and updates safe zones and navigation paths based on current aircraft position, environmental conditions, and threat levels. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain reliable safe navigation capability by continuously optimizing the flight path while managing complexity through algorithmic rather than mechanical means
2Reliability
If the system dynamically determines safe zones and navigation paths with threat monitoring, then safe navigation capability is improved, but the extent of automation increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The flight controls system autonomously monitors threats, determines safe zones, calculates navigation paths, and executes emergency maneuvers without requiring external input or complex human-machine interfaces. This self-service approach improves autonomous navigation reliability while managing automation complexity by consolidating functions within a unified control system rather than requiring multiple separate complex subsystems
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors aircraft position, environmental conditions, and threat levels, using this feedback to dynamically adjust safe zone determination and navigation path selection. This feedback mechanism improves autonomous navigation reliability by ensuring the system responds to changing conditions while managing complexity through iterative algorithmic adjustments rather than complex mechanical control systems
3Reliability
If the system provides comprehensive emergency navigation capabilities including safe zone determination and threat monitoring, then the ability to handle pilot incapacitation and mechanical failure is improved, but the ease of operation decreases due to automated decision-making
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the complex decision-making functions (safe zone determination, path selection, threat assessment) from the pilot's operational burden and places them in the automated flight controls system. This allows the system to provide comprehensive emergency navigation capability while maintaining ease of operation by presenting simplified interfaces and automated solutions rather than requiring the pilot to manage complex emergency procedures
Solution Approach 2:
By pre-determining safe zones and navigation paths before emergencies occur, the system eliminates the need for complex real-time pilot decisions during critical situations. The pilot simply needs to initiate the emergency procedure, and the pre-planned automated sequences handle the complex navigation and threat response, thereby improving emergency handling capability while maintaining operational simplicity
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to a flight controls system and a method for navigating an aircraft via the flight controls system implemented on-board an aircraft. The flight controls system may provide a first mode for allowing the aircraft to be autonomously navigated safely to a loiter zone in the event the pilot becomes incapacitated or unable to operate the aircraft. Further, the flight controls system may provide a second mode for providing autonomous landing functionality for the aircraft when the engines of the aircraft have failed.