Pilot Error

A pilot error is an analogy for when an airplane crashes because a pilot inadvertently pushes the wrong buttons. There is no way to sit beside pilots and ensure that they do not push the 'fly quickly and directly toward the ground without slowing down' button. Even the best, most automated, error proof systems need careful experts to operate them.

A pilot error is also a good excuse for bad UI design. (such as the 'fly quickly and directly toward the ground' button)

A pilot error is also when people have such philosophical problems with a tool and a company that they absolutely refuse to learn it well and blame everything on the tool and company.

In reality, almost all airplane accidents are attributed to pilot error. In a way, the pilot community is proud of this. It's an indication that as a whole they take responsibility for their actions. Fly through a thunderstorm, taking off with insufficient fuel, turning left into a mountain rather than right on to final--these are avoidable.

Just about every flying magazine in the US has a monthly column listing the NTSB findings on flying accidents. These are read avidly by people who want to avoid winding up in the next month's column. NASA has a reporting system which allows pilots to admit to errors without being penalized. These admissions are analyzed and published.

Maybe we need the same openness and sense of responsibility in software.

That's exactly the kind of behaviour that I believe would be implied by the term SoftwareEngineer, in a (my) Ideal World. -- KeithBraithwaite

I agree with Keith, one of the things that distinguishes engineers from mechanics and craftworkers is that they have a process for analyzing and avoiding failure. HenryPetroski? has a marvelous book called ToEngineerIsHuman which discusses this viewpoint extensively.

On a slightly flippant note, I would say a PilotError is not buying an AppleNewton, but I'm biased :-) -- ChrisBooth

allows pilots to admit to errors without being penalized.

Excellent idea. Too many times we ShootTheMessenger.

I hear that lawyers are applying this idea to medical doctors -- see the "I'm sorry" law (http://web.archive.org/web/20050125014322/http://www.lsb.state.ok.us/house/news6812.html).

Synonym: PebKac