JulianUK From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2006, 105 posts, RR: 0 Posted (7 years 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 1827 times:
Does anyone know whether Flight Data Recorders or Black Boxes include in their recoverable data an image of the weather radar at different time intervals? I wonder whether this would assist in the A320 that crashed recently or whether they would have to recover this information from local weather radar - i just thought a track of the aircraft over the actual weather radar image as seen by the pilot would be a much better indication to accident investigators?
Pihero From France, joined Jan 2005, 3496 posts, RR: 72 Reply 1, posted (7 years 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 1823 times:
No.
The ground radar is very accurate, especially the russian ones, taking into account the fact that they are just equipping their regional airports with a secondary "radar".
One of the most important tasks of the investigation team is to correlate the FDR recording with the ground radar track.
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11708 posts, RR: 52 Reply 2, posted (7 years 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 1779 times:
Quoting Pihero (Reply 1): One of the most important tasks of the investigation team is to correlate the FDR recording with the ground radar track.
That is correct. But I think that A-320 was new enough to have a DFDR, recording many more perameters, as well as a DCVR giving up to 65 minutes of conversation.
Avioniker From United States of America, joined Dec 2001, 1109 posts, RR: 11 Reply 3, posted (7 years 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 1763 times:
Flight data recorders record parameters. That's bits of data not a data stream or MPEG/PCM like would be needed to record video or audio. The inputs to the CVR are buffered differently to allow a data stream or audio or PCM type of data be recorded. The old recorders were foil data tape for the FDR and audio tape for the CVR. The formatting for the inputs has remained very roughly the same to keep the two types of data gathering devices separate for a variety of reasons. One of the foremost being legal.
An FDR may be analyzed for a ramp violation or even an engine malfunction but a CVR may not be read unless there was an accident or serious human injury or fatality involved.
At least in the US that's true...
One may educate the ignorance from the unknowing but stupid is forever. Boswell; ca: 1533
Minuteman From United States of America, joined Aug 2000, 271 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (6 years 12 months 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 1684 times:
For the most part, no weather information is recorded on the FDR.
There are usually parameters for ambient temperature, ice detectors, wind speed and direction (as sensed by the aircraft), windshear caution and warning alerts, and a newer RJ also now records the number of targets displayed by the lightning sensor. Otherwise, no, the ARINC 708 data used by the weather radar is too many bits to record in the available space.
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