5 Cockpit Image, Audio, and Data Recorder
The helicopter’s Appareo Systems Vision 1000 cockpit imaging and flight data monitoring device was mounted on the cockpit ceiling. The self-contained unit is designed to record cockpit images and two-track audio, and it has a GPS receiver for satellite-based time, position, altitude, and groundspeed information. It also has a self-contained real-time inertial measuring unit that provides three-axis accelerations as well as aircraft pitch, roll, and yaw data.34 The unit recovered from the accident helicopter showed damage on the exterior case and power connector (see figure 6). The removable memory card was undamaged, and its data were downloaded. Recovered data included about 2 hours of image and audio data and about 100 hours of parametric data.
34
Review of the data revealed that no external audio source (such as the helicopter’s intercom or radios) was connected to audio track “one” for recording (which is an optional audio link referred to by Appareo as the “ICS,” or “Intercom System”). Audio track “two” recorded sound from the unit’s internal microphone, which captured only loud helicopter engine/transmission sounds and no intelligible voices. Review of the data also revealed that the unit’s internal attitude data were subject to inaccuracies.35 The recorded images captured a view of the cockpit from behind the pilot looking forward. Some navigation and system instruments and displays, the helicopter’s master caution warning panel, a partial view out the cockpit windscreen, and some of the pilot’s left arm and head motions (the pilot was seated in the right seat) were visible at times.