Flight Safety Foundation Study Finds Safety in HUDs

A study funded by Rockwell Collins (a manufacturer of Head-Up Displays aka HUDs) examined 983 accidents over the last 13 years. The study, conducted by the Flight Safety Foundation and released on Monday, found that HUD technology could have prevented or mitigated about a third of the accidents (all involving aircraft 12,500 pounds or more). According to the foundation, some 69 percent of takeoff and landing accidents could have been avoided if HUDs had been used by the crew. The study found that the need to transition from instrument panel to windshield was a critical element in many such accidents. Being able to view critical flight data projected in front of the pilot's eyes is seen as a huge advantage in avoiding such accidents.