Crashed AF447 flight-data recorder found and retrieved

wow
holy cow
finally
awesome

Yeah, but we'll really see if there's any data still on it. The bottom of the ocean isn't the most conducive environment for maintaining integrity.

true, but it's still a major step in the right direction

now maybe we all will know what happened

this is very exciting news! update us please when and if they get some results

Everyone hopes data exists. And everyone hopes the data exonerates them. Let's wait and see, hoping abundant data exists for all to understand the tragic loss. Then let the responsibility chips fall where they will.

This is awesome.. I too hope the data is still available. at least 50% of it..

if anyone is interested, im working on my blog.. beapilot2.com

It will have some cool info about flying..etc.... also learntoflylearntofly.com --shameless plug.. sorry

Actually the bottom of the ocean at a depth of 10,000 feet is a very good place to preserve evidence. Just look at the pictures showing the condition of the box as it's being retrieved. This is an amazing discovery and I'd say there is a good chance the investigators will learn more about what happened to 447. If it was terrorism, we will probably never learn (see TWA 800).

Manboi, I hope you're right. But let's not confuse the physical preservation of material with the preservation of digital electronic data. Their different.

*They're, but yes. Assuming it's a standard hard drive, the salt may have completely eroded the disks in the drive.

The crew just had to maintain pitch 5 degrees and 85 percent N1 and no crash.

I read somewhere was that they slowed down to mitigate the turbulence, but then the pitot tubes froze and they didn't realize they had stalled. Just a theory, but possible.

John D, what experience have you in the region when thunderstorms are all about? Sometimes it's just not that simple, unfortunately. Wish it was, then the airplanes could truly fly themselves.

All the tubes could have been frozen and this airplane could have flown just fine. One is trained to trust the instrument data but you still have to get back to flying basics. The auto throttles in this airplane do not give visual indication of power reduction like Boeing. This crew was overwhelmed with audible warnings but all of them came from bad pitot tubes. Pitch and power should have been applied right away. This info comes directly from an A340 Captain.

Not hard drives. They are now fully electronic memory.

The unit should be in tact, from pics I saw it look good, at that depth and cold water it should have been protected from corrosion. It should have all the data in tact if it was working at the time of the crash. As a 27 year mechanic, and seeing 4 pitot tubes, I am alittle skeptic on that issue. Even if all 4 failed (quad failure) at least each side would have had different readings, and what about there standby insturment(s). It is on its own system and did not have an AD against it. I think something else happened in the electronics. I never liked the fly by wire, and I am suspicious about electrical failure even though the airbus has such an elaborate fail safe system.

Ultimatly I feel this will track back to Pilot Error. They had some plane problems, mis diagnosed the problem. Maybe they did not follow the checklist fully. We were not there, so it is hard to really say what happened, atleast not without the voice recorder... I hope they find it soon near by. If memory serves, these 2 are located very close to each other on the plane, so maybe they will get lucky. (I certainly hope they were not sleeping)

Like with Concorde, we will never know what really happened...mistake, failure or whatever, French guys will hide it and blame something or someone else...

I agree with AJ GL. Knowing the French, we will never know all the details. It will be blame at something else. E.i. Concorde and A-320 during airshow into the tress. But, hope all details are retreived from both CVR and DFDR.