ID :
326101
Thu, 04/24/2014 - 13:45
Auther :

Black Box Could Help Re-Enact MH370's Final Moments

By Ali Imran Mohd Noordin KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 (Bernama) - “Based on the information from the black box, we can re-enact the final two hours of flight MH370,” said an aviation principal specialist Baha Rudin Abd Latif. Baha Rudin was referring to the flight data recorder (FDR) and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), that make up what is known in the layman's term as the black box. The black box of the Malaysia Airlines' flight MH370 that went missing on March 8 while enroute from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, China is now the focal point of the search in the south of the Indian Ocean. The plane was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members. Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein during the press briefings stressed that the incident is an unprecedented event in the aviation history and therefore only the black box could help explain the mysterious disappearance of the plane. When met by Bernama recently, Baha Rudin noted that the action taken by the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) to focus on the recovery of the black box is the best option looking at the current circumstances. “We lack data on what could have transpired onboard. Till today the plane's last location remains a mystery. There was no communication indicating emergency onboard, no wreckage, and the plane just disappeared like that. “Therefore, the black box is probably the only option that we have in revealing the plane's mysterious disappearance,” said Baha Rudin who is now attached with the Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology (MIAT). BUT THE CVR DATA CAN BE ERASED INTENTIONALY Baha Rudin went on to explain that the CVR records the cockpit conversation through four channels, namely through the captain's microphone, the co-pilot's microphone, the observer's microphone and finally the area microphone. The CVR does not record voices or noise from the passenger cabin. “The recordings are done through ‘hot mic’. The CVR cannot be switched off or controlled during flight," said Baha Rudin who has been with the aviation industry for the last 26 years. Having said that, the CVR recordings could be erased manually by the pilot after fulfilling two conditions - the plane is on the ground and the parking brakes have been engaged. In a nutshell, when it is really safe, only then the recordings could be erased through the switch in the cockpit. And the CVR recordings follow two hour cycles, with the recordings automatically deleted after every two hours before new recording starts. “In the early days the CVR recording cycles lasted 30 minutes, and later extended to two hours. And looking at the unique circumstances of the MH370 episode, there will be suggestions that the recording duration be extended,” he said adding that the CVR is serviced once a year through a read out process. FDR RECORDS 88 TYPES OF DATA Meanwhile, the FDR records 88 types of data simultaneously for up to 25 hours non-stop. Unlike the CVR, the data recorded by the FDR cannot be erased by the pilot or from the cockpit. “These data are meant for the use of the engineers. The data is to be analysed especially in making periodical observations on the aircraft's performance,” explained Baha Rudin. The data recorded by FDR include engine performance, the aircraft and air speed, the altitude, flight control inputs and other crucial parameters. In the aircraft, the CVR and FDR are often housed in a single casing made up of strong metal that could last impacts up to 3,400 g or temperatures up to 1,100 Celsius. The black box that is actually bright orange in colour also comes with the Locator Beacon (ULD) that emits 37.5 kilohertz signal per second that could only be picked up by a special detector. The ULD's batteries could last up to 30 days and in the case of MH370 it is now almost 50 days since the plane went missing. Search and rescue teams had picked up faint signals earlier but there is no development in locating the final resting place of the plane. LIKE WHAT IS DONE BY NTSB Baha Rudin who had served with Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia also said even if there was no useful data from the CRV, the data from FDR could help simulate the flight pattern of the MH370. “It can help in re-enacting the plane's movement and behaviour and provide a picture of what may have happened,” he explained. Meanwhile Aviation Specialist Khairul Azan Mohd Zin told Bernama that the data from CVR and FDR is used by the United States' National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in investigating air accidents/incidents. NTSB serves as an important referral point in the search for the missing MH370 flight. Khairul demonstrated several simulation video of the NTSB, including the FedEx Flight 647 that overshot the runaway in 2003, and the FedEx ATR-42-320 that crashed and the US Airways Flight 1549 that was ditched into the Hudson River after a bird strike, both in 2009. "This provides a better picture for the air accident investigators on what could have transpired onboard flight MH370," he said. BLACKBOX OWNERSHIP And speaking of the ownership of the Black Box especially looking at the fact the plane is believed to have crashed in the international waters and many nations were involved in the search for the missing jetliner, Baha Rudin said Malaysia being the country of the plane's origins has the right over the black box. This is in line with the rules set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) that states the data from the CVR and FDR belongs to the country where the plane is registered. The Boeing 777-200ER, with the registration 9M-MRO is registered in Malaysia. Baha Rudin noted that though Malaysia has the black box ownership, it might still need the foreign expertise in processing the data when the black box is found. -- BERNAMA

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