Aviation Expert Robert Francis Recommends Onflight Online Data Backup of Black Boxes

June 07, 2009

Hamburg, Germany - A US aviation expert, commenting on the possible loss of the black boxes in the Air France crash, is proposing that flight data be automatically transmitted via satellite to a backup system, the German weekly magazine Der Spiegel reports. In its edition to appear on newsstands on Monday, Der Spiegel cites American expert Robert Francis as saying that such a backup system would not require too much extra technical equipment.

Francis, former deputy head of the National Transportation Safety Board which investigates air crashes in the US, said all that would be needed would be to rewrite the software on a plane’s communications system transmitting data to ground personnel to create a kind of “online flight recorder.” 

He noted that already today there exists a simple communication system called Acars which transmits data to ground personnel when problems arise. This was the system by which the stricken Air France plane had sent its problem reports in the final minutes. 

“Precisely this crash (Air France) proves how valuable this technology could be,” Francis said, adding it “would be a scandal for aviation” if the Air France plane’s black box is not recovered.