Method and device for locating faults and malfunctions in a complex system

A method of locating faults in a complex system for an aircraft, comprising:

• monitoring operation of said system to detect a malfunction of one component of said system;
• transmitting a malfunction signal when a malfunction of one component of said system is detected;
• continuously recording information about said system in a first memory, said information including actual values of a plurality of parameters of said system;
• clearing said recorded information after a given storage period;
• each time a malfunction signal is transmitted, storing at least some of the information stored in said first memory in a second memory together with information about changes to the values of at least some of said parameters during a particular period after transmission of said malfunction signal;
• and
• determining the location of each malfunction giving rise to a malfunction signal from said information stored in said second memory, wherein all information about one of said malfunction signals is extracted from said second memory to locate a malfunction relating to one of the plurality of malfunction signals.