Vanishing cockpit recordings are impeding probes of near-crashes
Cockpit recordings from a series of recent air-safety incidents in the US, including three near-collisions on runways, aren’t available to investigators — raising questions about whether rules related to the devices are sufficient. Black boxes on all six jetliners involved in four close calls since December were automatically overwritten after crews continued on flights or conducted other routine operations, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The loss of the data has renewed longstanding calls by the NTSB for the US government to require airlines to capture 25 hours of sound — the standard in Europe since 2021 — increasing the odds that they’ll have useful recordings. Currently, devices in the US record two hours of sound and, when available, can be one of the most helpful tools in determining how accidents occur. “Twenty-five hours should be the standard across all the countries,” Jennifer Homendy, the NTSB chairwoman, said in an interview. “For us coming late to this, following the European standard, is embarrassing.” Changing the rules for cockpit recorders faces a number of challenges. In September, the FAA, which regulates the aviation industry, dropped its effort to require extended recorders. An FAA advisory committee rejected the creation of a new rule “due to competing priorities and resources,” FAA acting Administrator Billy Nolen said at the time in a letter to the NTSB. The regulator has said it plans to resubmit its request for a 25-hour rule this year and a spokesman referred to the letter when asked to comment. Pilot unions say they need assurances the privacy of crew members will be prioritized. While the NTSB is prohibited from releasing the raw recordings from the cockpit, there is a “lack of protection” against carriers and others from leaking it, the Air Line Pilots Association, the largest flight-crew union in North America, said in a 2015 letter to the FAA. JetBlue Airways CEO Robin Hayes defended the existing recorder standard in an interview, saying so much flight data is available through other sources there is little to gain by changing it. The Airlines for America trade group said it generally supports going to 25-hour recorders, but added there are “many details and considerations that need to be addressed.” <br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2023-02-23/general/vanishing-cockpit-recordings-are-impeding-probes-of-near-crashes
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/logo.png
Vanishing cockpit recordings are impeding probes of near-crashes
Cockpit recordings from a series of recent air-safety incidents in the US, including three near-collisions on runways, aren’t available to investigators — raising questions about whether rules related to the devices are sufficient. Black boxes on all six jetliners involved in four close calls since December were automatically overwritten after crews continued on flights or conducted other routine operations, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The loss of the data has renewed longstanding calls by the NTSB for the US government to require airlines to capture 25 hours of sound — the standard in Europe since 2021 — increasing the odds that they’ll have useful recordings. Currently, devices in the US record two hours of sound and, when available, can be one of the most helpful tools in determining how accidents occur. “Twenty-five hours should be the standard across all the countries,” Jennifer Homendy, the NTSB chairwoman, said in an interview. “For us coming late to this, following the European standard, is embarrassing.” Changing the rules for cockpit recorders faces a number of challenges. In September, the FAA, which regulates the aviation industry, dropped its effort to require extended recorders. An FAA advisory committee rejected the creation of a new rule “due to competing priorities and resources,” FAA acting Administrator Billy Nolen said at the time in a letter to the NTSB. The regulator has said it plans to resubmit its request for a 25-hour rule this year and a spokesman referred to the letter when asked to comment. Pilot unions say they need assurances the privacy of crew members will be prioritized. While the NTSB is prohibited from releasing the raw recordings from the cockpit, there is a “lack of protection” against carriers and others from leaking it, the Air Line Pilots Association, the largest flight-crew union in North America, said in a 2015 letter to the FAA. JetBlue Airways CEO Robin Hayes defended the existing recorder standard in an interview, saying so much flight data is available through other sources there is little to gain by changing it. The Airlines for America trade group said it generally supports going to 25-hour recorders, but added there are “many details and considerations that need to be addressed.” <br/>
