What the profile screens for
Recorded flight-control status changes to a degraded, alternate, direct, backup, or otherwise reduced-protection mode.
Why it matters
Control-law degradation can change handling, protections, alerts, procedures, and crew expectations.
Build the event around relationships—not one number.
Define the operating context
Identify the takeoff / climb / cruise / descent / approach / landing state, aircraft configuration, location, and any required external data before applying logic.
Screen the signal relationship
Use validated combinations of flight-control law, system status, protections; avoid treating one isolated value as the whole event.
Confirm it is a genuine event
Check polarity, units, source, recording rate, dropouts, air/ground logic, persistence, and false-positive mechanisms.
Connect data to the safety question
Review procedures, reports, weather, airport and traffic context, exposure, recurrence, and the strength of the related barriers.
Recorded signals that may help explain the event.
Pitch attitude
Aircraft body attitude above or below the local horizontal reference.
Open parameter guide ↗degRoll angle
Aircraft bank attitude about the longitudinal axis.
Open parameter guide ↗discrete / modeAutopilot status
Engagement and mode states for automatic flight-control systems; useful analysis normally needs more than a single on/off bit.
Open parameter guide ↗Questions before conclusions
- Q1
Are flight-control law, system status, protections valid, correctly decoded, time-aligned, and sampled well enough for this event?
- Q2
What changed immediately before, during, and after the flight-control law or mode degradation indication?
- Q3
How do aircraft configuration, weather, airport geometry, automation state, and crew reports change the interpretation?
- Q4
Which current flight manual, SOP, maintenance, or operator event definition controls the final conclusion?
Safety topics that broaden the event review.
Flight-control laws
Normal and degraded control-law states, protections, limits, reversion logic, pilot input response, and operational implications.
Open topic profile ↗SAT-111 · Safety management & emerging riskSafety culture
Shared values, norms, leadership behavior, trust, resources, learning, accountability, and everyday decisions that shape safety performance.
Open topic profile ↗SAT-112 · Safety management & emerging riskOccurrence reporting
Detection, capture, protection, triage, analysis, feedback, and use of safety reports from employees, contractors, and operational systems.
Open topic profile ↗SAT-113 · Safety management & emerging riskJust culture
A fair and predictable approach that protects safety learning while distinguishing acceptable behavior, error, risk-taking, and reckless conduct.
Open topic profile ↗SAT-114 · Safety management & emerging riskSafety risk assessment
Structured identification of hazards, consequences, existing controls, likelihood, severity, uncertainty, risk ownership, and additional treatment.
Open topic profile ↗SAT-115 · Safety management & emerging riskManagement of change
Identification and control of safety effects when introducing new aircraft, systems, routes, procedures, suppliers, organizations, or operating conditions.
Open topic profile ↗SAT-117 · Safety management & emerging riskSafety data governance
Ownership, quality, lineage, access, protection, retention, de-identification, integration, and ethical use of safety information.
Open topic profile ↗SAT-118 · Safety management & emerging riskAviation cybersecurity
Protection of aircraft, airport, air-navigation, operational, maintenance, and business systems where digital compromise can create safety consequences.
Open topic profile ↗SAT-119 · Safety management & emerging riskConflict-zone risk
Assessment and control of threats to civil aviation from armed conflict, weapons, military activity, airspace disruption, intelligence gaps, and route decisions.
Open topic profile ↗SAT-120 · Safety management & emerging riskUAS airspace integration
Safe integration of remotely piloted and uncrewed aircraft with conventional traffic, including detection, separation, communication, containment, and new operating models.
Open topic profile ↗Flight-Deck Automation
Use mode awareness, active monitoring, and aircraft-response verification to keep automation aligned with crew intent.
Open topic brief ↗Aircraft SystemsEngine Failure and Thrust Loss
Separate commanded thrust, actual engine response, system effects, and crew management across partial, asymmetric, and complete thrust-loss events.
Open topic brief ↗Aircraft SystemsFire and Smoke
View fire safety as detection, containment, checklist action, diversion, evacuation, and rescue barriers.
Open topic brief ↗12 useful starting points
Terminology and topic relationships select these links; the publisher source remains authoritative.
SAFO 21003 — SAFO 21003, Inspection of Lavatory Fire Extinguishing Bottles on Aircraft Parked or Stored for a Prolonged Period of Time in a High-Temperature Environment
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke and maintenance. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 18003 — SAFO 18003, Procedures for Addressing Odors, Smoke and/or Fumes In-Flight
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 16001 — SAFO 16001, Risks of Fire or Explosion when Transporting Lithium Ion or Lithium Metal Batteries as Cargo on Passenger and Cargo Aircraft
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke and cabin and cargo. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 16011 — SAFO 16011, Air Transport Restrictions for Recalled Lithium Batteries and Lithium Battery Powered Devices
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 15003 — SAFO 15003, Fire Risk of Electronic Cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in Checked Baggage
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 14002 — SAFO 14002, Global Positioning System ( GPS )/Global Navigation Satellite System ( GNSS ) Navigator/Autopilot Compatibility
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for flight controls and automation and navigation and surveillance. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 10004 — Contaminated Halon Fire Extinguishers
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 10021 — Adverse Levels of Porous Coke for All Engine and Oil Combinations
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for powerplant. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 08005 — Preflight of helicopter hydraulic systems to include validation of control movement smoothness and identification of adverse flight control “stick-jump.”
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for flight controls and automation and airworthiness and systems. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 08014 — Boeing 777 Extended Operations ( ETOPS ) Restrictions due to Cargo Fire Suppression System Shortfall
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke and cabin and cargo. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 08015 — Preflight check of helicopter hydraulic systems to include validation of control movement smoothness and identification of adverse flight control “stick-jump”
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for flight controls and automation and airworthiness and systems. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official sourceSAFO 08018 — Fire Handle Characteristics, DC-9, MD-80 and MD-90 Airplanes
Official U.S. Federal Aviation Administration material indexed for fire and smoke. Open the publisher source for the complete document, scope, and current status.
Open official source