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Brain seconds: how much time does a pilot really have to see, understand, and decide in the cockpit?
Pilots have far less “brain time” than it seems to see, interpret, and act on what appears on the PFD and aircraft systems, especially during takeoff and approach.
Cognitive limits, CFIT avoided and the TAP Prague case
On 17 January 2026, TAP Air Portugal flight TP1240, an Airbus A320neo (CS‑TVG) operating from Lisbon to Prague, experienced what Czech authorities have described as one of the most serious safety events at Václav Havel Airport in recent decades.
Cognitive limits in the cockpit: how far can the pilot really go during takeoff or approach?
Operating medium and large transport aircraft during takeoff and approach pushes the pilot’s brain very close to its practical cognitive limit...