T8 B14 Domestic Cases Workfile- Egypt Air 990 Tab- Entire Contents- 84th RADES Memo and Kara Note w NTSB Extract 888

8/14/2019 T8 B14 Domestic Cases Workfile- Egypt Air 990 Tab- Entire Contents- 84th RADES Memo and Kara Note w NTSB E

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DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE84TH RADAR EVALUATION SQUADRON (ACC)HILL AIR FORCE BASE, UTAH

1 Nov 99MEMORANDUM FOR NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARDFROM: 84RADES/TO7976 Aspen AveHill AFB UT 84056-5846SUBJECT: Analysis of Long Range R adar Data: Egypt Air 990 aircraft mishap 31 Oct 991. Introduction. At the request of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the 84 thRadar Evaluation Squadron (84 RADES) is releasing radar data from various long-rangesurveillance radars prov iding coverage fo r Egypt Air aircraft crash on 31 Oct 99. Comprehensivesearch and beacon radar cov erage of the mishap was provided by the air route surveillance radar-4 (ARSR-4) at Gibbsborro, NJ, Riverhead, NY, Oceana, VA and North Truro, MA. This datawas recorded at the Northeast Air Defense Sector Air Operations Center, Rome industrial Park,N Y.The enclosed CD contains all radar data and products produced by the 84 th RADES in support ofthis incide nt. Softwa re to view the recorded data is included along with quick instructions toview the data (attach 1).2. Radar Accuracy Constraints. The primary range accuracy limitation fo r both search an dbeacon is 1/8 nmi, which is the value of the least significant bit in the radar target reports to endusers. Azim uth accuracy, primarily a function of radar beamwidth, is appro ximately 0.2 degreefor both search an d beacon. Mode C height accuracy is primarily limited to 100 feet, which isthe value of the least significant bit in the Mode C altitude report. Mode C altitudes may varyfrom ' true height' depending on atmospheric conditions. The a ircraft's true altitude can beobtained by algebraically adding its corresponding D-value (included in attachm ent 1) to theMode C report. In contrast, the ARSR-4 search height accuracy is primarily a function of radardesign and the physical world (e.g., propagation c onditions an d target size). The average searchheight accuracy, based on specifications, is 3000 ft root mean square (RM S) of the true altitude,bu t any single radar return height v alue could far exceed 3000 feet. Therefore, the ARSR-4height values should be treated as approximate v alues. A good indication of the relative heighterror can be obtained by comparing the associated Mode C height (including D values) with theARSR-4 height measurement. The height measurement values of 102,000 feet indicate theARSR -4 could not determine the height of the target and are used to represent an invalid heightvalue. In addition to these range, azimuth, and height accuracy factors, the ARSR-4 requiresapproximately 12 seconds to complete each 360-degree azimuth scan. These scan rates preclude


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contiguous aircraft positional inform ation (i.e., prevents a high degree of track resolution).Becau se of these intrinsic radar limitations, all radar plots illustrated in this analysis on a scan -to-scan basis should be considered close approximations.3. Description of products in attachments and Emailed/FTP files.

a. Attachment 1) - D-Values (pressure-based Mode-C height correction factors)b. Attachment 2) - Summary of events reported byMSgt Rauch of the NEADS/84RADESOLAB as he accomplished the initial analysis of radar da ta.c. Attachment 3) List of all radars recorded in the provided radar data filesd. Attachment 4) - Quick Instructions for use of RS3 Software (Note: We've also includedin the FTP directory a more in-depth RS-3 tutorial and sample files)e. Products Provided

Egypt Air 990- Coverletter

- Coverletter Egypt Air 990 - (explanation of products)-Data - Filtered Right 99 0 flight profile (RS3 configuration file)- Filtered Flight 990 flight profile closeup (RS3 configuration file)- Complete data se t (RS3 co nfiguration file)- Radar D ata Interface (RDI) files to feed th e configuration files- Filtered Flight 99 0 flight profile (M S Excel file)

- Complete data set (MS Excel file)-Final products

- Elevation Plot- Filtered Flight 99 0 Profile overlaid on Maplnfo data


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4. If you have any questions or need more inform ation, please contact Mr Lanny Clelland atDS N 777-2035, Commercial (801) 777-2035, or email: [email protected].

M A R Y M . GILLAM, Lt Col, USAFCommanderAttachments1. D-Values2. Initial Event Summary (from 84RADES/OLAB, Rome NY)3. List of Radars4. RS3 Quick Instructions


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Attachment 1

31 OCT 99 / 1200Z(TRUE ALTITUDE = MODE C ALTITUDE + D VALUE)AIRCRAFT MODE CREPORTED ALTITUDE D-VALUEFEET MSL FEET1000. 383.2000. 395.3000. 405.4000. 419.5000. 437.6000. 463.7000. 492.8000. 520.9000. 547.10000. 573.11000. 600.12000. 629.13000. 656.14000. 682.15000. 706.16000. 733.17000. 764.18000. 796.19000. 829.20000. 857.21000. 883.22000. 905.23000. 923.24000. 941.25000. 960.26000. 983.27000. 1007.28000. 1030.29000. 1051.30000. 1069.31000. 1083.32000. 1094.33000. 1102.34000. 1106.35000. 1114.36000. 1121.37000. 1125.38000. 1129.39000. 1135.40000. 1151.


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Attachment 2

84thRadar Evaluation SquadronOperating Location ABRome, NY

Event Summary31 Oct991. At 1110 Z o n 31 Oct 99, TSgt Sustarsic NEADS/DOCB recalled OLAB personnel at the request ofNew Y ork Center to locate the position of Egypt Air flight 990 w hich they had lost contact w ith. Thelast position for the aircraft was forw arded to Maj (CF) LaB elle NEADS/MCC at 1140 Z. An eventanalysis was produced and g iven to the operations crew .2. Informa tion used in this report was collected by the 84 RADES /OLAB Radar Data Interface Recorderan d presented using RADES system 3 . All inform ation is based on data recorded from J-52 and J-53

ARSR-4 radar located in Riverhead, NY and North Truro, M A.

Released by: RAN DA LL M. RAU C H , MSgt, USAFNCOIC Ai r Defense Systems Analysis


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Attachment 3ID NAME EQUIPMENT

R51 BAR Harrington, Canada FPS117J54 BUG Bucks Harbor, ME ARSR4J63 CAR Caribou, ME ARSR4J56 DAN Dansville (Buffalo), NY ARSR1EJ62 DTW Detroit, MI ARSR1EJ58 EMP Empire, MI ARSR4J51 GIB Gibbsboro ARSR4J60 NSH Nashuak, MN ARSR4J53 NOR North Truro, MA ARSR4J01 OCA Oceana, VA ARSR4J55 REM Remsen (Utica), NY ARSR4J02 QFF Ft Fisher, NC ARSR4J50 PLA The Plains, VA ARSR3J52 RIV Riverhead, NY ARSR4


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Attachment 4This file contains RADES System 3 (RS3) quick start information.General InformationThe RS3 Help function should be referenced fo r "How To " instructions.The tracks of interest were determined by the 84th RADES.RS3 Radar Data Analysis ToolbarMany of the tools used in radar data analysis have shortcuts on the toolbar of RS3. The buttons allow the user tocall-up certain functions in one simple step, without having to scroll through several different menus. Figure 1displays the RS3 toolbar an d some of its available functions.Users may select the appropriate buttons on the menu bar to start processing (play), reset (rewind), or stop (pause)the playback of radar messages in RS3. Users ca n operate use any RS3 function such as turningon the chainingfunction (chaining connects each radar message for the same track of interest based on the message timestamp) byclicking on the appropriate menu ba r button.

S t o p P l a y b a c k D e c r e a s e P l a y b a c k S p e e dZ o o m In Z o o m R e c t

S t a r t P l a y b a c kR e s e t P l a y b a c k

K'.KIK!t r ,I n c r e a s e Playback Z o o m Z o om Z o o mS p e e d I H o m e Out %Turn R u n s p e e d

O n / O f f

Q u e r y A r e a

ChainingO n / O f f

Figure 1. RS3 Radar Data Analysis ToolbarQuick Instructions for using RS3 and the RS3 Project Files1) Follow the directions in the RS3 Installation Instructions.txt file to install RS3 on your system.2) Copy all files to your hard drive, keeping th e same file/directory structure.3) If you copied the files from a CD-ROM, yo u will need to take th e "Read Only" attribute off of each file in theData folder.

a) To do this, right-click on each file and select Properties from th e pop-up submenu.b) Uncheck th e "Read Only" check box in the attributes section.c) Click OK.

Do this procedure fo r each file in the Data folder yo u copied from th e CD-ROM.4) Go to Start~>Settings->Control Panel->Display


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On the Settings tab, set the resolution (Desktop Area) on yoursystem to 800X600. Use you r mouse to move the slide arrow(in middle right side of the screen) to change the resolution.Click OK.** * This is very important since the RS3 projects were saved inin this resolution an d will not be displayed properly unless theresolution is changed to 800X600

5) Start RS3 by either dou ble-clicking on the RS3 shortcut on your desktop (if one exists) or going to Start>Programs->RADES->RS36) Go the File menu and select Open Project.

Browse the files in the Data folder until you find the project file (".RS3" file) you want to open.Select the project file; click Open.7) To run the playback, click the Play (start processing) button in upper left-hand corner (next to a small text drop-down menu with the word "End" in it).8) To zoom, click the zoom menu button (red cross with dashed box border) on the top right corner of the lowertaskbar. This allows you to zoom in an area of interest.

Begin at the upper left hand corner of desired zoom area. Pressand hold the left mouse button; drag the mouse to lower righthand corner of the desired zoom area and release the mo usebutton. RS3 will zoom in on that area.You can always revert to the original configuration by selectingthe "home" m enu button (looks like a home).

An Introduction to RS3Please read ou r "Introduction to RS3" document included on this CD-ROM. This document is in Microsoft Wordformat. This guide will help you get started using RS3 and includes several practice exercises to help fam iliarize youwith RS3.Contact InformationIf youhave any questions please contact Mr. Lanny Clelland at (801) 777-2035 or Mr. Dallas Stone at (801) 777-3194.


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PB2002-910401NTSB/AAB-02/01DCAOOMA006

National TransportationSafety BoardWashington, DC 20594

Aircraft Accident BriefEgyptAir Flight990Boeing 767-366ER, SU-GAP

60 Miles South of Nantucket, MassachusettsOctober 31,1999

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Examination of the left engine (which was recovered relatively intact) revealedevidence of little, if any, rotation at the time of impact. The right engine was severelybroken up, and only about 80 percent of it was recovered. Examination of the recoveredportions of the right engine showed evidence of little, if any, rotation at the time of impact.The observed deformations on the right engine were consistent with a steep impact angle,whereas observed deformations on the left engine were consistent with an inverted,slightly aft-end-down impact angle. Although the recovery location of and damage to theleft engine were consistent with it separating from the airplane before impact, no evidenceof any preimpact catastrophic damage or fire was observed on either engine.60TESTS AND RESEARCHReview of Radar Data

Five radar sites detected primary and/or secondary returns from EgyptAirflight 990. These sites are located at North Truro, Massachusetts; Riverhead, New York;Gibbsboro, New Jersey; Oceana, Virginia; and Nantucket, Massachusetts. The SafetyBoard's examination of the available radar data revealed that four of the five radar sitesrecorded no sequence of primary or secondary radar returns that intersected EgyptAirflight 990's position at any time nor did they reveal any radar returns consistent with aprojectile or other object traveling toward the accident airplane. Although the Riverheadradar site recorded numerous radar returns near the flightpath of EgyptAir flight 990within 5 minutes of the accident, none of the radar sites with areas of coverage thatoverlapped this area of Riverhead's coverage recorded similar radar returns. Consultationwith the USAF Radar Evaluation Squadron revealed that the primary returns in questionfrom th e Riverhead radar site were caused by radio frequency interference from the BucksHarbor, Maine, long-range radar site.

No secondary radar returns were received from EgyptAir f l ight 99 0 after 0150:36(about the time the CVR and FDR stopped recording); however, after this time, severalradar sites recorded primary radar returns that continued along the accident airplane'sextended flightpath from its last recorded radar position. As previously discussed, theseprimary radar data (with extrapolated FDR data and simulation results) indicated that afterth e airplane's FDR and CVR stopped recording, the airplane descended to an altitude ofabout 16,000 feet msl, then climbed to about 25,000 feet msl and changed heading from80 to 140 before it began it s second descent, which continued until it impacted th eocean.61

60 Fo r additional information, se e Powerplants Group Chairman's Factual Report.61 For additional information, see the Aircraft Performance Grou p Chairman's Aircra f t PerformanceStudy.

NTSB/AAB-02/01

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T8 B14 Domestic Cases Workfile- Egypt Air 990 Tab- Entire Contents- 84th RADES Memo and Kara Note w NTSB Extract 888