tombstone engineering

English

Noun

tombstone engineering (uncountable)

  1. (aviation, slang) The practice of letting accidents or failures (perhaps occasioning death, but not necessarily) identify engineering problems.
    • 2024 March 19, Mary Baily, “Digital Access”, in Sand Mountain Reporter‎[1]:
      “As pilots in the USAF, we used the term ‘Tombstone Engineering’ to describe a known potential catastrophic flight event that could have been avoided through additional design and funding, but ended in the death of pilots and/or aircrews, thus forcing that design change/aircraft modification. Emergency procedures, especially the warnings, in our flight manuals are literally written in blood…,” Coffindaffer said.
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