Fergie's Tech Blog

Battlefield Tech: Pentagon Needs 'Brown Out' Solution

Via UPI.

Three of four aviation accidents in Iraq and Afghanistan occur because of "brown-outs" and the Pentagon is on a short deadline to address the problem.

The Air Force Research Laboratory has told the defense industry it is working to decrease helicopter accidents due to brown-out by 60 percent within six months. And the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is gathering industry to kick off the "Sandblaster Program" Aug. 23 in Arlington, Va.

Brown-outs occur when a helicopter is landing or taking off, usually within 50 feet of the ground. Their rotors whip up so much sand and debris that not only is the pilot's visibility impaired, but Doppler and radar altitude is degraded. This forces the pilot to fly or - more dangerously - land blind. The result is often hard landings, which can injure or kill passengers and crew and damage or destroy aircraft.

posted by Fergie @ 8/21/2006 02:17:00 PM