| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the GTF engine on the Airbus A220 has happened again within the same organization, specifically with Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. The incident involved engine failures on aircraft operated by Lufthansa subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines AG, prompting checks and investigations into potential software issues [94454].
(b) The software failure incident has also occurred at multiple organizations, as the article mentions that a U.S.-led investigation was looking into a series of engine failures on the A220, indicating that similar incidents may have happened with other airlines operating the same aircraft model [94454]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is related to the design phase. The article mentions that checks were ordered on the GTF engine on the Airbus plane following engine failures on aircraft operated by Swiss International Air Lines AG. An investigation was studying whether a software change allowed unexpected vibrations that tore parts and forced three emergency landings. Additionally, the article discusses a software update for the GTF engine on the A220 that is expected in the spring pending regulatory approval, indicating a design-related issue that needs to be addressed through a software update [94454].
(b) The article does not provide specific information about the software failure incident being related to the operation phase. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident related to the GTF engine on the Airbus A220 involved contributing factors that originated from within the system. The incident was linked to a software change that allowed unexpected vibrations, leading to engine failures and emergency landings. Pratt & Whitney planned a software update to automate processes and reduce the need for inspections, pending regulatory approval [94454]. The problems arose following a recent update of the software controlling engine settings, indicating an internal software issue within the system. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was related to non-human actions. The incident was attributed to a software change that allowed unexpected vibrations, leading to engine failures and emergency landings on Airbus A220 aircraft operated by Swiss International Air Lines AG. The investigation was focused on whether the software change introduced these unexpected vibrations that caused parts to tear and forced the emergency landings [94454]. The article also mentions that the engine settings on modern aircraft are controlled by engine manufacturer software, indicating that the software played a critical role in the incident.
(b) The articles do not provide specific information about the software failure incident being directly caused by human actions. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident mentioned in the article is related to contributing factors originating in software. The article discusses a software update for the GTF engine on Airbus' A220, which is pending regulatory approval. The investigation into engine failures on the A220 is studying whether a software change allowed unexpected vibrations that tore parts and forced emergency landings. Additionally, the problems with the engine settings arose following a recent update of the software [94454]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident mentioned in the article is non-malicious. It was related to a software update for the GTF engine on Airbus' A220 jet, which was being investigated for engine failures that led to emergency landings. The investigation was focused on whether a software change allowed unexpected vibrations that caused parts to tear and forced the emergency landings. The incident prompted checks on the GTF engine, and a software update was planned to address the issue pending regulatory approval [94454]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
The software failure incident related to the engine failures on the Airbus A220 involved both poor decisions and accidental decisions:
(a) poor_decisions: The incident involved poor decisions related to a software change that allowed unexpected vibrations, leading to engine failures and emergency landings. The investigation was studying whether this software change contributed to the tearing of parts [94454].
(b) accidental_decisions: The incident also involved accidental decisions or unintended consequences, as the problems first arose following a recent update of the software controlling engine settings on the aircraft [94454]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the article as it mentions that checks were ordered on the GTF engine on the Airbus A220 following engine failures on aircraft operated by Lufthansa subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines AG. The investigation was studying whether a software change allowed unexpected vibrations that tore parts and forced three emergency landings. Additionally, the article highlights that the Swiss problems first arose following a recent update of the software, indicating potential issues with the software development process [94454].
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is also apparent in the article as it mentions that the problems with the GTF engines on the A220 and A320 NEO family planes arose following a recent update of the software. This suggests that the issues were unintentionally introduced during the software update process, leading to unexpected consequences and engine failures [94454]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the GTF engine on the Airbus A220 involved a temporary failure. The incident was attributed to unexpected vibrations that tore parts and forced three emergency landings, potentially caused by a software change that allowed these vibrations. Pratt & Whitney was working on a software update to address the issue, pending regulatory approval, which would automate processes and reduce or eliminate the need for current inspections [94454]. |
| Behaviour |
other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. The incident is related to engine failures on Airbus A220 aircraft due to unexpected vibrations that tore parts and forced emergency landings, leading to checks and software updates to address the issue [94454].
(b) omission: The software failure incident does not involve omission where the system omits to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The focus of the incident is on addressing unexpected vibrations and engine failures on Airbus A220 aircraft through software updates and inspections [94454].
(c) timing: The software failure incident does not involve timing issues where the system performs its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The incident primarily revolves around addressing the complex issue of unexpected vibrations at high altitude and high speeds on the Airbus A220 aircraft engines [94454].
(d) value: The software failure incident does not involve a value issue where the system performs its intended functions incorrectly. The incident is centered around addressing engine failures and unexpected vibrations on Airbus A220 aircraft through software updates and inspections [94454].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit a byzantine behavior where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The incident primarily focuses on addressing the specific issue of unexpected vibrations leading to engine failures on Airbus A220 aircraft [94454].
(f) other: The software failure incident involves addressing a complex issue related to unexpected vibrations that tore parts and led to engine failures on Airbus A220 aircraft. The incident required checks, software updates, and regulatory approval to automate processes and reduce or eliminate inspections currently being performed [94454]. |