Jim Logajan wrote:

The PBS NOVA TV series aired an episode in February that attempted to
apply accident forensics on the facts then known. This being nearly
two years after the crash, with the not unreasonable assumption that
the recorders would never be recovered, they could not be accused of
leaping to conclusions.

If the preliminary indications from the recorders are as claimed, then
it appears the NOVA experts did a remarkable job in determining the
most probable accident sequence sans recorder data.

The NOVA show can be viewed online here (I thought it well done for
its target audience):

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/space/c...light-447.html

A professional airline pilot writing on another blog doesn't agree with
its quality:

"Nova tried to explain the events leading up to the crash. I'll address
only the Wx radar here.

Their expert, from NCAR part of NOAA, said the Wx radar on AF447 had only
50 mile range. Strike one. It's 320 miles, if the storm is dense enough
to matter.

Nova showed a small/medium sized cell in the plane's track toward the
major line of storm. Nova said the small cell would obscure the radar
view of the major storm, causing them to stumble into it.

Poppycock/BS/Hogwash! The Wx radar on 447 returns were calibrated for
rainfall intensity. When the intensity of return is high, an algorithm
called "Path Attenuation Compensation" kicks in to assure calibrated
display. When the storm is too intense for penetration without reserve to
see the full picture of the "storm behind the storm," the Wx radar puts
up a yellow band, called PAC Alert, at the outer range ring of the
display.

I have great respect for Public Broadcasting in the US, but this program
failed miserably. I wonder if major sponsor, billionaire David H. Koch,
didn't have too much editorial input?
--------

PS: Why did they choose to interview a radar guy unfamiliar with that
specific airborne Wx radar? The least the guy could have done would be to
study the Pilot's Guide in NCAR's own C-130, which is operationally just
like the WX radar that was in AF447."