The blackbox of the Ecuadorian Dhruv helicopter that crashed on October 27 will be shipped to the US, where it will analysed by the Department for Aviation Safety, a part of the National Transportation Safety Board. The data will then be sent to HAL for a second analysis. The Accident Investigation Board has submitted a preliminary report to Ecuador’s Defence Ministry, and will submit its final report by Jan-Feb 2010. Ecuador’s government has apparently come under pressure to send the blackbox to a “neutral” agency in the US (ha!), instead of having it analysed first off by HAL, which in their view would constitute a conflict of interest.
'US' is neutral. Bell would be just excited!!! I think game has just begun. Can't even say good to HAL and DHRUV.
Well,there is a precedent for sending the blackbox to a neutral inspecting agency. In the aftermath of the A320 crash in Bangalore in the 90s, we did not send the black box to Airbus industrie in Europe for investigation, we sent it to Canada. SO it seems perfectly reasonable that Ecuador decided to do the same.