Mission Science Report

4 a/c COVES mission in tropical cyclone Humberto.

Accomplish the first day of a two-day COVES mission with both NOAA P3s, NASA DC8 and ER2. The NOAA Gulfstream added the far-environment dropsondes and the AF RECON added low level data, for a total of 6 a/c.

The main objectives were achieved. There was an essentially complete mapping of the inner storm, the outer storm, the near and far environment, almost exactly in the planned patterns. There was extensive cirrus outflow in all quadrants and a large semicircular band of vigorous convection on the north side. The DC8 encountered some moderate turbulence in the northern eyewall and a brief strong event at about 2205 UTC in the NW eyewall. The storm was apparently near maximum intensity on this day. The wind pattern at 39000 was confused near the center with a large area of light and variable winds compared to the smaller low level eyewall. The only negatives in the flight were the apparent failure of the ER2 sondes, which turned out instead to be a failure of the warning system (3 sondes were successful in spite of the warning lights indicating no release). The other one was the problem with ATC which held the DC8 at 26000 until near the eye, resulting in a nonstandard pass through the eye from S-N while climbing.