When planes crash, we want to know what happened. The good news is that there’s technology available today that would give us the answers. The bad news is that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not mandated that aircraft operators install it citing privacy, security, cost, and other concerns.
Commercial airliners are required to have only flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders, commonly called “black boxes,” but the NTSB has long called for cockpit image recorders, as well. Such video would have been extremely helpful in determining flight crew actions in recent crashes in Texas, Indonesia, and Ethiopia.
The NTSB believes other types of passenger-carrying commercial aircraft, such as charter planes and air tours, should be equipped with data, audio, and video recording devices. These operators should also have programs in place that analyze the data derived from these devices. Recorders and flight data management programs would not only help investigators solve accidents, but they would also help aircraft operators prevent crashes in the first place by allowing crew actions to be regularly evaluated.
Regardless of the recorder type, it must be able to survive a crash.
The FAA should mandate crash-resistant recorders in all passenger-carrying operations and require data monitoring and analysis programs. Operators should not wait for mandates to do so; they can realize the safety benefits of these technologies now.
Regulators should:
- Require aircraft operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 91, 121, or 135 to install a crash-resistant flight recorder system on all newly manufactured turbine-powered, nonexperimental, nonrestricted-category aircraft; and/or require the retrofit of existing aircraft with such equipment.
- The crash-resistant flight recorder system should record cockpit audio and images with a view of the cockpit environment.
- Require that all existing and newly manufactured aircraft operated under 14 CFR Parts 121 or 135 and currently required to have a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder be retrofitted with a crash-protected cockpit image recording system.
- Require aircraft operating under 14 CFR Part 135 to:
o Install flight data recording devices capable of supporting a flight data monitoring program, and
o Require a structured flight data monitoring program that reviews all available data sources to identify deviations from established norms and procedures as well as other potential safety issues.
Industry should:
- Install a crash-resistant flight recorder system that records cockpit audio and images with a view of the cockpit environment on all:
o newly manufactured and existing turbine-powered helicopters that are not equipped with a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder.
o existing turbine-powered helicopters that are not equipped with a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder.
- Install a crash-protected cockpit image recorder system on all:
o newly manufactured and existing turbine-powered helicopters that are not equipped with a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder.
o existing turbine-powered helicopters that are equipped with a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder.
Open Recommendations that Represent Critical Priorities
A-21-8 – To Island Express Helipcopters Inc: Install flight data recording devices capable of supporting a flight data monitoring (FDM) program on each helicopter in your fleet and establish an FDM program that reviews all available data sources to identify deviations from established norms and procedures as well as other potential safety issues.A-20027 Airbus, Bell Helicopter Textron Inc, Leonardo Helicopter Division, MD Helicopters, Robinson Helicopter Company
A-20-27 – to Airbus Helicopters, Bell, Leonardo Helicopter Division, MD Helicopters, and Robinson Helicopter Company: Install, on your newly manufactured turbine-powered helicopters that are not equipped with a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder, a crash-resistant flight recorder system that records cockpit audio and images with a view of the cockpit environment to include as much of the outside view as possible and parametric data per aircraft and system installation, all as specified in Technical Standard Order C197, “Information Collection and Monitoring Systems.” The recorder system installation should be considered essential equipment that remains installed for the life of the helicopter and have provisions to ensure it remains operational during each flight.
A-20-28 – To Airbus Helicopters, Bell, Leonardo Helicopter Division and Sikorsky: Install, on your newly manufactured turbine-powered helicopters that are equipped with a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder, a crash-protected cockpit image recorder system compliant with Technical Standard Order C176a, “Cockpit Image Recorder Equipment,” or equivalent. The cockpit image recorder should be equipped with an independent power source consistent with that required for cockpit voice recorders in Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations 29.1457. The recorder system installation should be considered essential equipment that remains installed for the life of the helicopter and have provisions to ensure it remains operational during each flight.
A-20-29 - To Airbus Helicopters, Bell, Leonardo Helicopter Division, MD Helicopters, Robinson Helicopter Company, and Sikorsky: Provide, on existing turbine-powered helicopters that are not equipped with a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder, a means to install a crash-resistant flight recorder system that records cockpit audio and images with a view of the cockpit environment to include as much of the outside view as possible and parametric data per aircraft and system installation, all as specified in Technical Standard Order C197, “Information Collection and Monitoring Systems.” The recorder system installation should be considered essential equipment that remains installed for the life of the helicopter and have provisions to ensure it remains operational during each flight.
A-20-30 To Airbus Helicopters, Bell, Leonardo Helicopter Division, and Sikorsky: Provide, on existing turbine-powered helicopters that are equipped with a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder, a means to install a crash-protected cockpit image recorder system that is compliant with Technical Standard Order C176a, “Cockpit Image Recorder Equipment,” or equivalent. The cockpit image recorder system should be equipped with an independent power source consistent with that required for cockpit voice recorders in Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations 29.1457. The recorder system installation should be considered essential equipment that remains installed for the life of the helicopter and have provisions to ensure it remains operational during each flight.
A-16-34- To the FAA: Require all 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 operators to install flight data recording devices capable of supporting a flight data monitoring program.
A-16-35 - To the FAA: After the action in Safety Recommendation A-16-34 is completed, require all 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 operators to establish a structured flight data monitoring program that reviews all available data sources to identify deviations from established norms and procedures and other potential safety issues.
A-15-7 – To the FAA: Require that all existing aircraft operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121 or 135 and currently required to have a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder be retrofitted with a crash-protected cockpit image recording system compliant with Technical Standard Order TSO-C176a, “Cockpit Image Recorder Equipment,” TSO-C176a or equivalent. The cockpit image recorder should be equipped with an independent power source consistent with that required for cockpit voice recorders in 14 CFR 25.1457. (Supersedes Safety Recommendation A-00-30)
A-15-8 – T0 the FAA: Require that all newly manufactured aircraft operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121 or 135 and required to have a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder also be equipped with a crash-protected cockpit image recording system compliant with Technical Standard Order TSO-C176a, “Cockpit Image Recorder Equipment,” or equivalent. The cockpit image recorder should be equipped with an independent power source consistent with that required for cockpit voice recorders in 14 CFR 25.1457. (Supersedes Safety Recommendation A-00-31)
A-13-12 – To the FAA: Require the installation of a crash-resistant flight recorder system on all newly manufactured turbine-powered, nonexperimental, nonrestricted-category aircraft that are not equipped with a flight data recorder and a cockpit voice recorder and are operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 91, 121, or 135. The crash-resistant flight recorder system should record cockpit audio and images with a view of the cockpit environment to include as much of the outside view as possible, and parametric data per aircraft and system installation, all as specified in Technical Standard Order C197, “Information Collection and Monitoring Systems.”
A-13-13 - To the FAA: Require all existing turbine-powered, nonexperimental, nonrestricted-category aircraft that are not equipped with a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder and are operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 91, 121, or 135 to be retrofitted with a crash-resistant flight recorder system. The crash-resistant flight recorder system should record cockpit audio and images with a view of the cockpit environment to include as much of the outside view as possible, and parametric data per aircraft and system installation, all as specified in Technical Standard Order C197, “Information Collection and Monitoring Systems.”
Updated August 22, 2024
