Originally Posted by
aviatordom
I know i'm not really supposed to be in this area as i'm not a professional but could someone tell me what the chances are of data being able to be recovered from the recorders if they have been in the sea that long, or is this irrelevant?
Modern flight data recorders use solid state storage for the data - think 'flash memory' chips.
Those are pretty sturdy, and will probably have survived even at the depths we're talking about, even if the "black box" itself is crushed or otherwise damaged.
It's been done, and there are a few specialised labs that can take this on.
Also, what are the chances do you think as a Pilot or an Aviation Expert, Engineer, etc. of the recorders actually being found by search teams?
Speaking as an engineer, I think all bets are off. It's still worth a try, in case some of the wreckage is still in one place. Otherwise, with the 'pingers' now silent, it'll be the proverbial needle in a haystack, or worse.
CJ