Federal accident investigators are calling for a crucial safety upgrade for aircraft in the wake of a recent incident involving the loss of key evidence. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to mandate the retrofitting of cockpits with enhanced cockpit voice recorders (CVRs) that can capture up to 25 hours of audio. Currently, the standard requirement is for CVRs to record just two hours of audio.
The NTSB's recommendation comes after a door panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight over Oregon last month. Due to the limitations of the current CVR, crucial data from the incident was overwritten after just two hours of recording. The absence of this critical audio has impeded the investigators' ability to fully comprehend the challenges faced by the flight crew during the emergency.
This proposal to upgrade CVRs is not new. In 2018, NTSB urged the FAA to implement the 25-hour recording standard for new aircraft, as well as existing planes that already have a voice recorder and flight data recorder, commonly known as the 'black boxes.' The FAA's current proposal aligns with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the United Nations' aviation organization, ensuring consistency in international aviation safety standards.
While the FAA's proposed rule has been open for public comment since late last year, the recent incident has added urgency to the updating of CVRs. The FAA received approximately 115 comments during the comment period, which ended on February 2, and is now reviewing these remarks before issuing a final rule.
The importance of CVRs cannot be overstated. They are designed to capture not only pilot conversations but also other relevant sounds that may aid investigators in understanding the circumstances surrounding an accident. The data captured by CVRs is crucial for aviation safety professionals to gain insights into potential factors contributing to incidents.
The NTSB reports that since 2018, around 14 investigations have been hindered due to overwritten recordings. Even more alarmingly, seven runway close calls in early 2023 were also impacted by this issue. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy described this situation as 'unacceptable' and emphasized the need for immediate action to avoid such limitations hindering future investigations.
Ultimately, the proposed retrofitting of aircraft with improved CVRs is a step towards ensuring enhanced safety and comprehensive accident investigations. By increasing the recording capacity from two hours to 25 hours, aviation authorities will have access to crucial audio data that could provide valuable insights into potential safety improvements. The FAA's decision on this matter will be instrumental in strengthening aviation safety standards and reducing the occurrences of overwritten recordings that impede investigations.
