Malware Blamed For Disastrous Plane Crash

Gizmodo ^ | 20 August, 2010 | Gizmodo

[James C. Bennett]

 

154 lives were lost when Spanair Flight 5022 crashed moments after taking off from Madrid-Barajas International Airport in 2008. Now documents from an investigation into the incident are showing that a malware infection may have been to blame.

According to the investigation, the computer system used to monitor technical problems on the plane was infected with a trojan. As a result, there were no alerts or warnings for three technical issues which "if detected, may have prevented the plane from taking off."

The investigation is still not complete and authorities are trying to determine just how the malware got onto the computer system in question. [MSNBC]

Photo by Andy Mitchell

Update: To clarify, the computer system in question is described as being on the ground—not on the plane itself—and used to monitor the state of critical systems prior to take off.

[Swordmaker]

Trying to make tech-head points over which OS was running a non-essential software reporting tool (a tool which still operated, by the way) is extremely grisly and in VERY poor taste.

I suggest you tell that to driftdiver and his poor jokes about the co-pilot playing with an iPad instead of doing his check list...

Looking at a serious issue that actually IMPACTED and did have something to do with the concatenation of events that resulted in the deaths of 180 people is NOT grisly or in poor taste. Hiding your head in the sand and refusing to acknowledge that the failings of a product made by Microsoft or Apple or any manufacturer that was inherent IN THE PRODUCT because of a misplaced loyalty or whatever is what is truly grisly.

Unfortunately, the susceptibility of Microsoft products to malware has consequences beyond mere monetary losses in the billions of dollars... malware has and will cost lives... as this tragedy aptly demonstrates. That susceptibility needs to be addressed by the agencies that determine the cause of the air disasters. Yes, the proximate cause of the Spanish air disaster was human error... but safety equipment designed to ameliorate the possibility of human error did not work and was not detected because of malware. That should not be ignored. That is not a matter or "taste." political correctness, or any other social nicety-like offense at it being "grisly." That is the equivalent of putting out an all points bulletin to look for an armed and dangerous murderer and omitting the most obvious aspect of his descriptions, his race, due to political correctness and fear of offending the panty waists in our society.

[driftdiver]

Actually the ipad comment was a negative comment about the co-pilot who helped kill these people. It had nothing to do with Apple.

Face it, you cannot think or do anything except attack Microsoft. Even to the point you’ll ignore the myriad of other factors involves with this crash.

Poor management, lack of maintenance and poor piloting caused this accident.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Sorry Sword, you’re completely out of line in trying to “score points” with the deaths of 154 people. Sick and twisted.

Read and learn about the accident. The “malware” didn’t kill anyone, it didn’t STOP the reporting tool from running, it didn’t interfere with any processes other than the computer running slow (and thus, the lazy flight crew didn’t spend the extra 2 minutes to enter the data).

I find your actions here disgusting.