Teaching the Imagination of Failure

Like any other field of engineering, aerospace relies heavily on the designer’s ability to recognise and solve real-world problems. The complexity of modern systems has led to an increasing demand for innovative solutions. Teaching the “imagination of failure” – the ability to conceptualise and analyse unusual or unexpected forms of failure – is crucial for developing job-ready engineering graduates.

One essential aspect of designing complex systems is failure analysis, which involves predicting and mitigating failures in hardware, firmware and software elements. Failure analysis is NOT the same as imagining failure, though, just like reliability does NOT equal safety. Failure analysis is a critical component of engineering knowledge and it remains fundamental that all students become proficient in applying the right tools and traditional approaches. However, traditional failure analysis can be challenging due to the complexity of modern systems, which often involve multiple interacting components, common cause or cascading failure modes, etc.

For most engineering schools, teaching the “imagination of failure” is a new addition to the traditional curriculum. It may require rethinking “design for safety” courses and retooling teaching faculty by integrating their theoretical knowledge with practical experience by introducing case studies and a more critical approach to theoretical models.

• Case studies can help by revisiting real-world accident scenarios. They can be used to illustrate complex failure mechanisms, highlighting past successes, mistakes and lessons learned.
• Reinforcing theoretical models with empirical evidence helps validating (or rejecting) model predictions. When this a posteriori technique is effectively combined with accident case studies, the students can develop effective techniques to challenge mechanical results, addressing a common gap in a young engineer’s skill set.