> There has been at least one incident of a software bug in certified > code, but it is very rare, and the record is impressive (no life > has been lost because of a software bug in the history of commercial > aviation).
I agree with all you've said so far, but this statement above is a bit too optimistic, unfortunately :-( Air France flight 296 in 1988 is one example. It killed 3 people. The cause was a systems bug that kept engines in idle in a low altitude fly-by at a French air show. The systems assumed the pilot was trying to land... Malaysia Airlines Flight 124 is an example of a near-miss. And the recent crash of British Airways Flight 38 also probably was due to a software bug (investigation ongoing, of course). In military aviation, there are plenty examples of software bugs that killed people (V-22, Gripen, the F-22 equator bug, etc...). I would guess all of these were flying with certified software. Gr. Steven
