[hercuroc]

The ocean floor where they are looking is 13000 ft deep and the black box emits a signal for about 30 days-have to see if they can find it.

[topher]

Hercuroc wrote: The ocean floor where they are looking is 13000 ft deep and the black box emits a signal for about 30 days-have to see if they can find it.

The Glomar Explorer supposedly raised a Soviet Sub back in the 1960's or earlier.

We do have UUV's, MUV's and other things that can go that deep.

But they need to assemble this ASAP or borrow it ASAP (if the US Navy is not going to do it).

I am not sure what resources France has in this regards, but if the US Navy chose to make this an important training exercise, it could be found before the 30 days -- at least my belief...

[Damifino]

The ocean floor where they are looking is 13000 ft deep

At 14,000 feet of depth there is 6084 psi pressure on the black-box cavity. I doubt the enclosure or its seals are designed to withstand those pressures. I calculate the wall thickness in aluminum to be about 3.75" to span 12" without deflection. Anyone know for sure?

[anymouse]

Hope they have a ocean exploration robot sub heading there now. If they have a signal, the robot can find it and retrieve it. Robot might get some photos of the wreckage while it is at it that might prove useful for investigators.

Lomg-term, robot might even be able to retrieve some passenger remains, but that would be a stroke of luck to find any after such a crash, which would likely spread remains over a wide area full of creatures already feeding on them.