Safeguarding flight data and locating/recovering on-board recorders

Background Some accidents shows difficulties to recover the recorders, or the data recorded on them: AF-447, 1st June 2009 Yemenia, 30th June 2009 South African Airways, 28th November 1987 French BEA established the “Flight Data Recovery Working Group” to look into new technology to safeguard flight data to facilitate the location and recovery of on-board recorders Ours ICAO colleagues, did a very good description of the accident of AF-447 flight. This accident in June 2009 and others like this of Yemenia in the same month or this of South African Airways in 1987, shows the difficulties that implies the recovery of recorders after a plane crash or to recovery the information contained in them. Taking it into account, French BEA established an International working group, the “Flight Data Recovery Working Group”, supporting the AF-447 in order to look into new technology that allows to safeguard flight data and also to facilitate the location and recovery of on-board recorders

Background Group’s ToR: This Group did not cover legal aspects Propose solutions to enhance the recovery of flight data after an accident Asses the technical feasibility of each solution Present the advantages and disadvantages of each solution Present the degree of “maturity” as well as the cost of each solution This Group did not cover legal aspects The terms of reference of this group were: To propose solutions to enhance the recovery of flight data after an accident To asses the technical feasibility of each solution To present the advantages and disadvantages of each solution, and To present the degree of “maturity” as well as the cost of each solution We want to remark that the Flight Data Recovery Working Group did not cover legal aspects. Taking into account that legal issues are very relevant in the case of recorders, the legal and technical aspects must be addressed simultaneous and consistently. The group take into consideration several possibilities, as data transmission via satellite or new flight recorders. And an assessment on cost-benefit has been done between the existing technologies and possible solutions.

BEA’ Recommendations BEA issued safety recommendations settled on three areas Increasing the transmission time and range of the ULB beacons The sending of data on initialisation The installation of deployable recorders AIG2008 agreed to recommend the implementation of Annex 13, Paragraph 5.12 and associated Attachment E Within the framework of the AF447 investigation, the BEA issued safety recommendations based on the work done by the Working Group, settled on three areas for significant improvements in safety: Increasing the transmission time and range of the ULB beacons The sending of data on initialisation The installation of deployable recorders We want to recall the attention of the Conference in the agreement of AIG2008 to recommend the implementation of Annex 13 Paragraph 5.12, Non-disclosure of records, and associated Attachment E, legal guidance on this subject.

Proposals for the Conference Recommend ICAO to evaluate changes in flight data recording and protection and propose changes in the appropriate Annexes It could be done by the FLIRECP panel, transformed to also address data protection and other topics raised by AIG2008 The action that we propose to the Conference is to recommend ICAO to evaluate changes in flight data recording and protection and propose changes in the appropriate Annexes, as was considered in WP 10. It could be done by the FLIRECP panel, transformed to also address data protection and other topics raised by AIG2008

Permanent communications with aircraft over oceanic areas We will follow with another WP that was intended to presented by ECAC. We apologize for the absence of our ECAC Colleague and we will present the paper in the name of ECAC.

Background Loss of AF447 highlighted that non-permanent communication may adversely impact on the timely launching of search and rescue phases aircraft wreckage recovery Potential of improved surveillance and route conformance monitoring Enhance flight safety and efficiency In this paper, we address the other two considerations done by ICAO in WP 10, the communication in oceanic areas and the search and rescue improvement on those areas. The loss of AF447 highlighted that non-permanent communication may adversely impact on the timely launching of search and rescue phases and in the aircraft wreckage recovery. Addressing this lack of communication, there are a potential to improve the surveillance and the route conformance monitoring in order to improve flight safety and efficiency.

Proposals for the Conference (1) Call on ICAO to: undertake a comprehensive review of potential short term enhancements to flight tracking and route conformance monitoring capabilities ADS-C and CPDLC capabilities through satellite communications. review means and procedures which mitigate HF communication reliability issues over the high seas ECAC consider that short and long terms solutions are needed, and in this sense we want to invite to the Conference to: a) call on ICAO to undertake a comprehensive review of potential short term enhancements to flight tracking and route conformance monitoring capabilities, over the high seas in particular, and to develop as appropriate standards and recommended practices; for example, the “Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Contract”, or the Controller-Pilot Data Link Communications. Those improvements has been implemented by many air navigation service provider. b) call on ICAO to review means and procedures which mitigate HF communication reliability issues over the high seas, and to develop as appropriate standards and recommended practices;

Proposals for the Conference (2) Call on ICAO to: review the use of modern communication technologies in case of emergency explore longer term solutions to those issues, taking account existing regional initiatives OPTIMI report by the Council to the 37th Assembly c) call on ICAO to review the use of modern communication technologies in case of emergency, and to develop as appropriate standards and recommended practices; d) call on ICAO to explore longer term solutions to those issues, taking account of existing regional initiatives. Specialy OPTIMI, launched by SESAR Joint Undertaking, whose goals are to analyze the current situation, to identify conditions for implementing continuous flight tracking, and to prepare for demonstrations ; and e) call on the ICAO Council to report to the 37th Session of the Assembly on progress made on items (a) to (d) above.