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Gunfire Detection System Aids Plane Crash Investigation

Posted by: Nate Berg

22 February 2010 - 9:00am

A gunfire detection tool used by the city of Palo Alto will be used in the investigation into a plane crash that killed three local auto executives.

The system, ShotSpotter, is in use in many cities, and this investigation shows how such urban data can be used.

"In recordings played for reporters Thursday, the plane's two engines can be heard clearly. Some of the sensors caught the sound of two loud bangs, apparently when parts of the plane, including a wing, an engine and the landing gear, hit buildings and vehicles on the ground.

In one chilling recording, screams of people witnessing the crash can be heard.

The sensors 'picked up probably critical portions of the crash itself and the events leading up to it,' said Police Chief Ron Davis. 'It is a very clear and, quite frankly, powerful tape of the events.'"

Full Story: Gunfire detection system figures in crash probe
Source: San Francisco Chronicle, February 19, 2010
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All of that only scratches the surface of what's wrong with this study. The idea that complex urban development patterns and human behavior can be meaningfully studied according to one primary criteria — density — is wrong from the start.
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