Failure accommodating aircraft control

Describes development and performance analysis of a failure accommodation system for the commuter and business aircraft control recovery. First, system failures are detected and isolated using a hierarchy of techniques that is chosen to ensure minimal disruption of operations and to minimize the number of false alarms. Successive layers in the diagnostics hierarchy are increasingly invasive. Once a failure has been detected and identified, the failure can be accommodated in several ways, from passive pilot cueing to active autopilot reconfiguration. An autopilot reconfiguration algorithm to accommodate failures wherever possible is developed. Some preliminary pilot cueing strategies and displays to alert pilots to true failures, provide guidance on recommended responses, and inform the pilot of any reconfigurations are also introduced.