Despite the reluctance of pilots to adopt the technology, compulsory video recorders for flight decks has come a step closer with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) completing its draft recommendation for the equipment. The move puts the NTSB and EUROCAE (the European organisation for civil aviation equipment) in step in recommending adoption by 2005.
US Air Line Pilots Association representative Capt Lindsay Fenwick says pilots' reservations centre on the fact that the visual images could not be kept from the media. ALPA also claims that video would not prevent accidents.
The NTSB recommends that aircraft built after 1 January 2003 under Federal Aviation Regulations Part 121, 125, or 135 be equipped with two crash-protected cockpit image recording systems with a minimum 2h recording. These must be able to record the entire cockpit including each control position and every action.
Source: Flight International
