When Codes Kill

We use complex alphanumeric codes everywhere. There are countless examples in rail, power distribution, and aviation. These codes are useful, they can include detailed information on location and function. However, codes are far better suited to computers than the humans that use them.

Human errors in codes can have disastrous consequences. In 2022, Norwegian Air Sweden flight D84311 descended to within 6ft of the ground due to errors in the pressure setting code. The traffic controller twice reported the QNH altimeter setting to be "1011" instead of "1001" hPa. This error, undetected by the pilots, resulted in the altitude being miscalculated by 280ft and the plane coming perilously close to crash landing during a go around.

Humans have a tendency to reverse numbers like this. The effects of dyslexia, dyscalculia, priming, and countless other biases make us unreliable with codes.

Like it or not, codes are here to stay, so how can we manage the human errors that are bound to happen?