New FAA Rule – Good, But Not Good Enough?

In the wake of an aircraft accident, one of the most sought-after pieces of the puzzle is the information contained on the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), one of two “black boxes” (they’re actually bright orange) that help investigators determine what went wrong.

Now comes word that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the agency charged with rendering commercial aviation safe, is changing the rules governing CVRs. All larger passenger airliners will be required to carry CVRs capable of recording two hours of conversation. The current requirement is for 30 minutes.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is the agency charged with investigating airline accidents. While praising FAA for its new reg, NTSB says it falls short, “by not requiring that older 30-minute CVRs be replaced on existing commuter and corporate jet aircraft.” That would include craft such as the ubiquitous ERJ-145 and CRJ-200.

Another thing that concerns the Safety Board is the FAA’s decision not to require that older airliners be retro-fitted with an emergency ten-minute power supply that would power the CVR should regular electrical power fail. Newly manufactured airliners will have to have the emergency back-up, but not those craft already up there.

Why is this important? Investigators would have had more valuable CVR data from two notorious crashes — ValuJet Flight 592 and Swissair Flight 111 — had such gear been in place.

“Flight recorders have proven themselves invaluable in providing critical information during accident and incident investigations,” says Mark V. Rosenker, NTSB Acting Chairman. While he’s happy to see some changes for the better he indicates there’s a way to go, including enactment of Safety Board recommendations that cockpits be equipped with image recorders.

© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler