IATA director-general Willie Walsh has weighed in on the debate about cockpit video recording, in his first remarks since the release of the preliminary investigation report into the crash of Air India Boeing 787-8 in June.
Offering his personal view on the ongoing debacle, Walsh, who is a former pilot, says “there is a strong argument for the inclusion” of video recording to “assist in accident investigations”.
He was speaking at a media roundtable in Singapore, where he attended several high-level aviation meetings.
The Air India crash on 12 June – involving a 787-8 operating flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick – reignited debate about cockpit-video recordings supplementing cockpit-voice and flight-data recordings.
The preliminary investigation report found that the 787’s fuel control cut-off switches were activated almost as soon as the aircraft lifted off. Investigators are now working to determine the reason for – and the circumstances surrounding – the cut-off switch activation.
The need for cockpit-video surveillance has long been sought by the US authorities, but has faced resistance from pilot groups, citing confidentiality concerns.
Walsh on 16 July says: “Our industry has always been very open in sharing information. We believe that any accident or any major incident that takes place needs to be investigated fully, properly… and recorded so that everybody can benefit from the experience.”
He adds: “Based on what little we know now, it’s quite possible that a video recorded in addition to the voice recording, would significantly assist the investigators in conducting that investigation.”
While investigations are ongoing, Walsh says it was “commendable” that Indian investigators released the preliminary report “on time” – a month after the crash, according to ICAO regulations.
“I commend the Indian government and the [Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau] for the release of the preliminary report, which I think contained more information than most people were expecting, which was helpful,” Walsh says.
Walsh also reiterated calls for nations to calls for states to follow regulations to release accident investigation reports “in a timely manner”.
IATA will “continue to highlight the obligations that all states have under ICAO regulations to produce timely accident reports, which we believe are critical to the continued improvement of safety”, he adds.
