Drucella Andersen

Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

August 7, 1991
(Phone: 202/453-8613)

H. Keith Henry
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
(Phone: 804/864-6120)

RELEASE: 91-125

NASA TESTS NEW WINDSHEAR WARNING SYSTEM

Results from a NASA flight test program show that new sensor
technology may provide airline flight crews with advance warning
of "microbursts" that sometimes harbor potentially dangerous
windshears.

A microburst is an intense downdraft that produces strong

divergent winds near the ground, typically for a short duration
and over a relatively small area. When an airliner is taking off
or landing, a microburst can force the plane into the ground
before the flight crew can take proper corrective action.

NASA's Boeing 737 Transport Systems Research Vehicle is

equipped with a number of instruments intended to detect
hazardous windshear in time for the aircraft to avoid it. NASA
and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are most interested
in sensors that will provide a minimum of 20-40 seconds advance
warning of microburst windshear conditions.

Although airlines are in the process of equipping their

planes with windshear detection systems, these commercial systems
are designed to alert the flight crew that the aircraft is
experiencing hazardous windshear. The FAA has mandated that
airlines must select and install an approved microburst detection
system on their aircraft by the end of 1995.

The NASA 737 flight tests represent the final phase of a

joint NASA/FAA windshear research program started in 1986. The
FAA determines the requirements for the program, while NASA is
developing the technology for airborne sensors. Researchers
believe the combination of ground-based and airborne detection
will give commercial airline pilots precious extra seconds to
avoid or escape a microburst.

- more -
 - 2 -

NASA's 737 recently completed two series of test flights.

The first was in the Orlando, Fla., area, June 9-21. The second
series of flights took place in the Denver area, July 7-25.
Orlando often has moisture-filled microbursts and Denver
experiences relatively dry microbursts, making the areas
excellent candidates for studying the full range of microburst
conditions.

The flight test program was highly successful. Conditions

in the Orlando area allowed the aircraft to make many microburst
windshear penetrations after the storms had been measured by the
forward-looking sensors. Denver weather during the deployment
period did not produce the expected dry microbursts, but did
allow strong gust front penetrations and other storm
measurements. The NASA 737 also conducted radar surveys of
terrain and ground traffic around the Orlando and Denver
airports.

Both airports have experimental ground-based Doppler radars

designed to spot windshear. Information from these radar systems
was used in the studies to direct the aircraft toward
microbursts. For safety, the aircraft flew 750 to 1,100 feet
above the ground at 210 knots (about 240 statute mph).

This summer, the NASA 737 research aircraft carried the

forward-looking remote sensors, one based on radar technology and
one based on infrared technology. The radar sensor, a modified
aircraft weather radar, detects sudden, large changes in raindrop
velocities in a storm cell ahead of the airplane. NASA
modifications to the otherwise off-the-shelf radar filter out
false indicators like cars moving in opposite directions near the
airport, allowing windshear readings near ground level. The
infrared sensor is a passive instrument that measures temperature
changes usually produced by microbursts.

The flight tests also demonstrated a Langley-developed data

link between ground weather radar and the 737 and the feasibility
of deriving a windshear alert from that data and displaying it in
the aircraft. Warnings from ground weather radar today are
typically relayed by voice.

The only way to ensure that these advanced instruments

operate reliably is for the test aircraft to fly into a variety
of shears and compare the instruments' performance with what the
plane actually encounters. Researchers at Langley have developed
a real-time computer program that accurately determines what the
737 detected.

The 737 and the NASA team are based at Langley Research
Center, Hampton, Va.

- end -

NOTE TO EDITORS: Still photos to illustrate this release are

available to media representatives by calling 202/453-8375:
 Color: 91-HC-530 B&W:
91-H-628

Also, a 1 minute, 27 second edited video clip and 9 minute, 40

second resource footage is available by calling 202/453-8594.