floating FDR?
Would it not be possible to install a second FDR, in a place where it is likely to break loose on impact; and give this second FDR positive buoyancy - foam packing in the case, for instance - and a simple GPS receiver/recorder built in? That way there'd be a record of (a) where it hit the surface and started receiving location information and (b) a track of its movement from when it hits the surface.
Obviously there'd be some drift as the FDR ascended. But as soon as it broke the surface it would start transmitting a beacon that could be picked up by satellites. With a simple trig fix it would then be easy to "go to" - no hunting around, just see where it is and go fetch.
This would narrow the search area considerably - say, to within a couple of nauticle miles drift from release. With positive buoyancy it would come to the surface PDQ - and ascent rate of 1000ft a minute wouldn't be hard to engineer.
With an analysis of ocean current behaviour in the area, it wouldn't be too hard to work out where it had released.
Last edited by rcsa; 9th December 2009 at 21:21.
Reason: Galileo /Magellan error