Convention Paper
Audio Engineering in the Field of Aviation Security
AES Convention 98 · Paper 3950 · February 1995
Abstract
Audio engineering activity is not only devoted to entertainment and education but also to many other aspects that are both scientifically stimulating and important contributions to society, for example, in the diagnosis and treatment of hearing problems and the increasing uses of ultrasound technology. This is especially evident in the field of aviation security. From the early 1960s, the recording by the cockpit voice recorder and eventual interpretation of sound events resulting from accidents and incidents have been of major importance in the improvement of security for this ever-increasing sector of the traveling public. This presentation explains the initial problems, history, design, function, technical data, and application of voice recorders in the context of the Fairchild A 100 system and introduces the digital A 100 S, using solid-state technology as a storage medium instead of tape, which replaced the A 100 system in 1993. The paper also discusses the cockpit voice recording and interpretation of a crash at Kennedy Airport in 1968, which was established as being caused by human error.
