ACARS - Alternate uses...
 

Had a thought - ACARS (Aircraft Communications and Reporting System) is a functional data exchange system on board most large jet aircraft. As far as I know (pretty little) it reports aircraft parameters such as position, height, temperature, etc at defined intervals.
My question is : can it be remotely polled from the ground ? In the context of Sept 11th, ATC were aware something was wrong and still had a primary paint, but would the other data (height, etc) have assisted them in any way and lead to any alternate courses of action ?

EITS - Just my 2cents worth. For the ACARS system to provide the full range of information about an aircraft it would need the aircraft to be logged on via Data Link, (CPDLC) to ATC and for ATC to be equipped accordingly. Not all aircraft and/or ATC units are so fitted yet. When both are equipped with the Data Link capability then, Yes, ATC can have a very precise picture of the aircraft's status without the pilots having to continually input the information.
As far as a height read-out goes then SSR should provide this via the aircraft's transponder using mode 'C' and in the case of Sept. 11th. all the aircraft involved would have had this up and running.
Cheers.

With QF, this info is sent to a 24hr "Maintenance Watch" area for survey and pre-empting maintenance at the next port. I have seen direct input contact with acars from the ground and the air, with text messages.
The bulk of the info sent to maint watch is CMC dumps (747-400) and performance excedences (767) which arrives with a fault code no., flight ststus (air/ground/t/o) and flight no (and sector names).
An example:

QFA100 ASSY ALAX T/O 161101 H100 2429932 OJH
Flight to/from flight stage date height fault A/C


In answer to the question, it isnt a great help to aid in finding an aircraft off route. The only possibility is if they (terrorist pilots) answered a direct text request.

Hope it helps....

[ 18 November 2001: Message edited by: moremj2 ]

[ 18 November 2001: Message edited by: moremj2 ]

Geez, and I thought it was only for footy scores & roster requests!!! :rolleyes:

It is possible to interrogate the fmc from the ground via acars for a lat / long and fuel remaining.
-Now if we had joysticks...... ;)

An Ansett mate used to be able to free text me using the ACARS, air to air. He wouldn't tell me the code, but it obviously needed both a/c rego's. Any ideas?

maybe that's one reason the great AN went broke!! Those ACARS uplinks and downlinks are not cheap.

They basically work like SITA telex's, and as such, it should be quite simple to send to another aircraft. Sure is great sending loadsheets direct to the aircraft without having to go out there & cop an earfull when asking for ETBO!!! :D :rolleyes: