NASA 1996 SBIR Phase I

PROJECT TITLE : Low Cost Flight Data Recorder for General Aviation Aircraft

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)

Recent events have demonstrated the value of flight data and voice recorders in determining the cause of commercial aviation accidents. No other single piece of post-crash evidence yields more significant information than the data and voice recorders. Data from these devices has allowed major safety improvements on commercial aircraft, preventing further accidents from occurring. Unfortunately, cost and weight concerns have made equipping the general aviation fleet with similar devices impossible. In this proposal, a concept for a low-cost, light weight, autonomous, Flight Data Recorder for General Aviation Aircraft, incorporating ruggedized commercial off-the-shelf technology, is presented. The system uses miniaturized components packaged to minimize volume and weight while maintaining post-crash survivability. The system is autonomous, requiring no connections to existing aircraft systems (other than power). The system records accelerations and position of the aircraft , as well as cabin conversations and other sounds. Its low cost and ease of installation will allow rapid phasing into the general aviation community, without placing an undo burden on aircraft owners and operators.

The potential market for a low-cost flight data recorder is enormous, extending to the entire general aviation fleet of the United States and abroad. In addition, a low-cost, low-weight data recorder would have direct applicability in other industries, such as shipping monitoring, fleet vehicles, and transportation.

Christopher P. Krebs
Payload Systems Inc.
247 Third St.
Cambridge, MA 02141

Payload Systems Inc.
247 Third St.
Cambridge, MA 02141