| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
The article reports that Airbus issued a critical alert for immediate checks on all its A400M aircraft after a fatal crash in Spain was identified to have been caused by a software bug [36029]. This incident highlights a software problem causing a fault in the control units of the aircraft's engines, leading to a power-off shortly after takeoff. Airbus had previously faced technical issues with the complex software needed to run the A400M's four engines, indicating a recurring challenge within the organization.
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
The article mentions that the Airbus A400M aircraft, developed by European Nato governments, has faced problems related to software and other technical issues, causing delays in delivering the aircraft [36029]. This suggests that software failures or technical challenges are not unique to Airbus but have also been experienced by other organizations involved in the development and operation of military transport planes. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the article. Airbus issued a critical alert for immediate checks on all its A400M aircraft after a software bug was identified as the cause of a fatal crash in Spain. The report mentioned that the software problem caused a fault in the control units of three of the aircraft’s four engines, leading to a power-off shortly after takeoff. This indicates a failure introduced during the system development phase [36029].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is not explicitly mentioned in the provided article. Therefore, there is no specific information available regarding contributing factors introduced by the operation or misuse of the system in this incident. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Airbus A400M crash in Spain was within the system. Airbus issued a critical alert for immediate checks on all A400M aircraft after identifying a software bug as the cause of the fatal crash. The software problem caused a fault in the control units of three of the aircraft’s four engines, leading to them powering off shortly after takeoff [36029]. The incident was attributed to an internal software issue within the aircraft's systems. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the Airbus A400M crash was attributed to a software bug that caused a fatal crash in Spain. The report identified a software problem that caused a fault in the control units of three of the aircraft’s four engines, leading to them powering off shortly after takeoff. This indicates a failure due to contributing factors introduced without human participation [36029].
(b) The article does not provide specific information about human actions contributing to the software failure incident. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The article mentions that a software bug caused a fatal crash of an Airbus A400M aircraft during a test flight in Spain. The software problem caused a fault in the control units of three of the aircraft’s four engines, leading to them powering off shortly after takeoff [36029].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The same article highlights that a software bug was identified as the cause of the fatal crash of the Airbus A400M aircraft. The software problem affected the control units of the engines, indicating a software-related issue [36029]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Airbus A400M crash in Spain was non-malicious. The incident was caused by a software bug in the control units of the aircraft's engines, leading to a fatal crash during a test flight. Airbus issued a critical alert for immediate checks on all A400M aircraft to address the software problem that caused the engines to power off shortly after takeoff. The alert required operators to perform specific checks on the Electronic Control Units (ECU) of each engine before the next flight, indicating a non-malicious software failure incident [36029]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Airbus A400M crash in Spain was not due to poor decisions but rather a software bug that caused a fatal crash. The incident was attributed to a software problem that caused a fault in the control units of three of the aircraft’s four engines, leading to them powering off shortly after takeoff [36029]. The alert issued by Airbus called for immediate checks on all A400M aircraft to address the software bug, indicating that the failure was not a result of poor decisions but rather a technical issue within the software system. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the Airbus A400M crash in Spain. An article reported that a software bug caused a fatal crash, leading to the grounding of the A400M fleet by multiple countries. The software problem caused a fault in the control units of three of the aircraft’s four engines, resulting in them powering off shortly after takeoff. This issue highlights the challenges faced in developing and testing the complex software needed to run the aircraft's engines, which is a collaborative effort between multiple companies [36029].
(b) The accidental aspect of the software failure incident is also apparent in the Airbus A400M crash. The report identified a software bug as the cause of the fatal crash during a test flight in Seville. The incident resulted in the death of four Spanish air force crew members and the injury of two others. The software issue was not intentional but rather a result of a bug that led to the engines powering off unexpectedly after takeoff, indicating an accidental failure [36029]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Airbus A400M crash in Spain was temporary. The incident was caused by a software bug that led to a fault in the control units of three of the aircraft's four engines, causing them to power off shortly after takeoff. This specific software problem was identified as the contributing factor to the fatal crash, leading to immediate checks being called for on all A400M aircraft [36029]. |
| Behaviour |
crash |
(a) The software failure incident in the Airbus A400M aircraft crash in Spain was due to a crash, where the system lost state and did not perform its intended functions, leading to a fatal outcome [36029].
The software problem caused a fault in the control units of three of the aircraft’s four engines, resulting in them powering off shortly after takeoff, leading to the crash [36029]. |