modern software systems, people and chance

The following article is a fascinating study about the interaction of modern aviation technology and people. It is about a collision of two state of the art, modern commercial aircraft at 37,000 feet over the Amazon in 2006.

http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2009/01/air_crash200901?currentPage=1

I've been in software systems development for almost 30 years and can easily see how some of the contributing factors are possible. Some of the factors from the article include:

• too much information and too many display choices lead to confusion and uncertainty about what you're looking at and what it means
• modern altimeters coupled with an autopilot allow/cause two aircraft to fly at exactly the same altitude increasing the chances for a collision
• much more to look at and play with inside the cockpit reduces the desire to look outside
• TCAS being off at a high (or any?) altitude should result in an audible alert (particularly if the transponder is off/standby) and not just a text notice on a display device
  
• potential language barriers or difficulties should cause more communication and not less

This is a very informative read for anyone associated with aviation and should cause pilots to review checklists and their personal procedures and habits. It also causes me to see more value in the portable Zaon PCAS MRX that a friend I fly with recently purchased. One thing to note with what I just said. It only works for aircraft with a working and "on" transponder which is exatly what was not happening with the private jet in the article.