KUALA LUMPUR: From the headlines below from Bernama, it is obvious that the search and rescue team have yet to locate the Nuri (Sikorsky Sea King S-61) which crashed into the jungles around Genting Highlands around 9.35am yesterday (July 13).

July 14, 2007 21:46 PM
No Sign Of Copter As Aerial Search On Second Day Ends

July 14, 2007 17:58 PM
Dense Forests, Steep Inclines, Thick Mist Hamper Copter Search.

It is obvious to everyone including Malaysian Defence that looking for a helicopter in dense jungles is almost impossible. Perhaps they could have installed a transponder of some kind.

But according to another report, the RMAF chief was quoted as saying: “Crew Transmitter Of Missing Copter Malfunctions placing the burden on the ground arch team.

Since the current transmitter failed perhaps the air force might want to look for this device instead or something similar:

ELB3000F AND EAS3000F Emergency Locator/Recorder System

Taking the Search Out of Search and Rescue

For over 25 years, DRS’s AN/URT-26 and AN/URT-43 Deployable Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) have been providing unsurpassed search and rescue capability for P-3 crews around the world. DRS now offers two new Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) upgrades to further improve on these mature, field-proven systems.
121.5/406 MHz Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) Upgrade
For P-3 operators wishing to upgrade their AN/URT-26 or AN/URT-43 ELT with the latest digital 406 MHz technology, DRS offers a form/fit replacement ELB3000F deployable ELT system. This beacon incorporates a COSPAS-SARSAT certified 121.5 MHz/406 MHz ELT providing all of the SAR enhancements of 406 MHz technology, including a Global Positioning System (GPS) position encoding interface that allows the ELT to transmit the aircraft’s last known latitude and longitude.
Deployable CVR/FDR Upgrade
For P-3 operators also requiring Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR), DRS offers an EAS3000F deployable ELT and CVR/FDR system. This upgrade is a solid-state crash recorder (housed in the beacon) and an aircraft monitoring unit (AMU) that interfaces to the aircraft’s avionics suite gathering audio and flight data inputs. The AMU can be further upgraded with software to incorporate Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) functions. The HUMS subsystem is user modifiable, providing unsurpassed end-user flexibility and security.
Features
– Automatically deployable CVR/FDR/ELT or ELT only- Floats indefinitely on water- COSPAS-SARSAT certified 121.5/406 MHz ELT- 406 MHz digital signal provides instantaneous alert and identification- GPS encoding provides last known latitude and longitude- Meets current and planned CVR/FDR/ELT requirements- Superior crash survivability, land sea recoverable- Optional Aircraft Monitoring Unit- Optional HUMS upgrade- Improved reliability- Ease of maintenance- Advanced Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) technology
Airworthiness Certification
– Meets requirements of: TSO C-91A, C-123A, C-124A, EUROCAE ED-55, ED-56, ED-56A,RTCA DO-183, DO-204, ED-62, CAA specifications 11, 16, 18
Cockpit Voice Recorder
– Conforms to ED-56A functional requirements- 1 hour storage for each of 4 channels (2 hours optional)- 4 audio channels: 3 channels 150 Hz to 3.5 KHz, 1 channel 150 Hz to 6 KHz bandwidth
Flight Data Recorder
– Conforms to ED-55 requirements- 25 hours of data storage
Interface Options
Flexible flight data acquisition:
– Direct from bus: 8-channel ARINC 429, or 2 dual-redundant MIL-STD-1553- Analog acquisition suite: Discretes, analog, synchro, frequency, thermocouple, fuel flow- Industry standard: ARINC-573/717- HUMS software upgrade option
Emergency Locator Transmitter
– 121.5 MHz or 243 MHz and 406 MHz- Battery packs designed to: TSO-C97, TSO C-142
Ground Support Equipment
– Flight data playback capability: Data readout in engineering units, option for graphical replay- Audio playback- System maintenance features- Supports data retrieval directly from the beacon or aircraft monitoring unit
Physical Characteristics
System weight
– 17.5 kg
Airfoil dimensions
– 607 mm x 758.5 mm x 111 mm
Aircraft monitoring unit
– 1/2 ATR short (320 mm x 124 mm x 190 mm)
Power requirements
– 28V, DC, 30 watts maximum
Environment
Withstands extreme military environmental conditions
– RTCA/DO-160C- MIL-E-5400- MIL-STD-810EFor more information, please contact DRS Data & Imaging Systems, Inc



Of course some might say its too late to install them as another Bernama report says “Govt Plans To Replace Nuri Helicopters – Najib .

But Malaysian Defence believes as long as the Nuri are in service, it is best that aircraft is equipped with the latest and greatest equipment, so we will know, if the unthinkable happens, what had happened and locate it within the golden hour so the crew, who survived the crash, could be saved.

Based on the literature from DRS Technologies, its CVR/ELT could be transferred easily to another aircraft. So when the Nuri is replaced, its CVR/ELT could be fitted to the replacement helicopter on one-to-one basis. If we buy more than the current Nuri fleet, simply buy new ones for these aircraft.

—Malaysian Defence

If you like this post, buy me an espresso. Paypal Payment