Flight 1549 (Hudson River) Radar Data Visualization

This is a 3D depiction of all data from JFK and EWR Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR) facilities including the accident flight AWE1549. Nearby John F Kennedy Airport (to the south east of LaGuardia) shows as a cluster of red data (you can distinguish the runways and final approach paths) and the clustered blue data highlights Newark Airport, just to the west of LaGuardia (LGA).

The accident flightpath is drawn in a solid white line. A high resolution satellite image is used to depict the layout of LaGuardia airport and to aid in spatial orientation during the visualization. Read more on our Flight 1549 analysis web page: http://exosphere3d.com/pubwww/pages/project_gallery/cactus_1549_hudson_river....

The ASR radar data is archived when an accident occurs and is read from a continuous data tape (CDR: Continuous Data Recording) on an ARTS computer by a program called "CDR EDITOR". The ARTS (automated radar terminal) computer is the same computer which processes live radar data for Air Traffic Control. The archived files must then be processed to extract information into a meaningful numeric format.

Data from the two radar facilities is projected using a transverse mercator projection and rotated into precise alignment with known reference points. Slant range correction is important for targets near the radar's location and is accomplished by utilizing the Mode C altitude reported for those targets with altitude information. Range-Azimuth data presents challenges in the accident reconstruction environment due to the fact that there are errors in timing of the pulses, errors in the azimuth (azimuth change pulse: ACP) as well as errors in range reported. Careful reconstruction requires detailed examination of each particular data point and, just as importantly, the data as a whole in relation to the environment.

In this movie, a small dot is placed at the location of every beacon return (BT), primary return (TG) and reinforced beacon return (RB). Altitude is exaggerated to aid in visualization.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• flight
• 1549
• radar
• data
• 3d
• animation
• aviation
• accident
• reconstruction