The answer is of course yes.
Let’s change the question: did a malware cause the Spanair 5022 crash? According to a recent article: (most probably) yes. An interesting article was suggested by a reader of the website. Here’s an exerpt (the full article can be read here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38790670):
Malware implicated in fatal Spanair plane crash
Computer monitoring system was infected with Trojan horse, authorities sayBy Leslie Meredith
updated 8/20/2010 4:48:01 PM ETAuthorities investigating the 2008 crash of Spanair flight 5022 have discovered a central computer system used to monitor technical problems in the aircraft was infected with malware.
An internal report issued by the airline revealed the infected computer failed to detect three technical problems with the aircraft, which if detected, may have prevented the plane from taking off, according to reports in the Spanish newspaper, El Pais.
Flight 5022 crashed just after takeoff from Madrid-Barajas International Airport two years ago today, killing 154 and leaving only 18 survivors.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board reported in a preliminary investigation that the plane had taken off with its flaps and slats retracted — and that no audible alarm had been heard to warn of this because the systems delivering power to the take-off warning system failed. Two earlier events had not been reported by the automated system.
The malware on the Spanair computer has been identified as a type of Trojan horse.
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I’ve always underlined the aviation safety risks implied with Information Security. Here’s just a tragic example. The final report from crash investigators is not due to be presented until December. However, we can affirm since now that, even if malware was not the root cause of the Spanair 5022 crash (as the aircraft took off with flaps and slats retracted) at least it was a contributing factor to an aviation disaster.
