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On Nov. 30 the FAA announced its proposal to extend the cockpit voice-recording requirement to 25 hours for all newly manufactured aircraft. The NTSB has been pushing for a revision of flight recorder systems on aircraft since 2018, placing it on its 2020 Most Wanted list of recommendations. The FAA responded to the list after the industry Safety Summit on March 15, held in response to a spike in runway incursions nationwide, stating that the agency intended to improve safety and delve into the over 250 recommendations to determine the next steps.
The voice recorder will capture all transmissions and sounds inside the cockpit, including voices and engine noises. The NTSB, in its list of over 250 safety recommendations, suggested extending the possible recorded time from the currently required two hours to 25. Currently, CVRs are required to retain at least two hours of recorded information. After the two-hour limit, a CVR will overwrite the oldest data to maintain a rolling two-hour recording. The proposed ruling will extend the requirement to 25 hours for manufactured aircraft operating as Parts 91, 121, 125 and 135, one year after the effective date of the final ruling. The FAA noted that the current two-hour requirement does not meet the NTSB's needs for investigations and to make safety recommendations.RELATED STORIES:FAA proposes CVR recording extension, response to NTSB 'Most Wanted' list of recommendationsFlight crew refuses interview after JFK runway incursion, NTSB issues subpoenas
The NTSB recommendation to extend CVR recording time is a result of the relevant CVR data in numerous investigations being overwritten because of the recording limits. After a runway incursion at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Jan. 13 the CVR data was overwritten and when the NTSB required recorded interviews from the crew and witnesses, the crew on one of the planes involved refused and the agency issued subpoenas to the crew members to conduct the interviews needed for the investigation. The NTSB released a statement after the incursion, asserting that recorded interviews are imperative to the investigation process and citing the 2018 recommendation to require that commercial air carriers be equipped with CVRs capable of recording at least 25 hours of audio.
A longer duration for CVR recordings will provide authorities with better information on events and procedures in the flight deck and aid in investigations. Increased data may lead to new or more informed FAA recommendations or policy changes to further enhance safety. Updated CVR models will also be bolstered with CVR interface tools for time-saving benefits. These tools will allow for personnel to be trained more quickly, audio data retrieval will be faster and the tools can perform additional diagnostic services to shorten downtime.
The estimated costs of equipping a 25-hour capable CVR over a two-hour unit indicate that the differences are minimal. The cost differences range from nearly equal to about $4,500. Using the higher number, the total cost over 20 years is an estimated $102.42 million at seven percent present value with annualized costs of $9.67 million. The operational procedures are not expected to change and the FAA does not anticipate any other notable costs.
There have been numerous changes concerning CVRs in the last 30 years. The NTSB ran into trouble investigating a 1996 incident when the 30-minute closed-loop CVR tape did not include the recordings of the initial approach to the runway, the hard landing event or the go-around. This led to a recommendation to extend the recording duration from 30 minutes to two hours, which the FAA adopted in 2008. Ten years later, the NTSB was asking for another extension, but this time there was not a 12-year wait for a ruling.
In 2013, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency proposed an amendment to require large commercial aircraft manufactured after Jan. 1, 2019 to be equipped with a CVR capable of recording the last 15 hours of operation. In 2015, after considering comments received on the proposed amendment and following a technical review, EASA extended the duration requirement to 25 hours. This mandate took effect on Jan. 1, 2021. In 2016 the International Civil Aviation Organization also adopted a standard for CVRs capable of recording 25 hours. The ICAO noted that this was imperative to capture the longest flight duration, including pre-and post-flight activities, delays and the time required to secure the recordings.RELATED STORIES:FAA panelists say complacency jeopardizes aviation safetySafety alert issued after series of runway incursions, FAA urges airlines and pilots to take actionFAA awards another $121m, calls for runway safety meetings to reduce risk of close calls
The FAA pledged to act after the March Safety Summit, allocating funds to airports for improvements like runway lighting and reconstruction of confusing taxiways in an ongoing effort to reduce runway incursions. Implementing this rule will assist the NTSB in its investigative process. The two agencies both work to preserve safety in the national airspace and will often collaborate to ensure the industry is operating at its highest standard. The FAA's response to the NTSB's Most Wanted list, released one day after the summit, said that the two agencies agree on a course of action about 80 percent of the time. At the time, the FAA was considering rulemaking and looking into the possible methods and feasibility of implementation.
The new rule will align with regulations set forth by the ICAO and EASA. The rule was published in the Federal Register on Monday and the public has 60 days to comment.
"This rule will give us substantially more data to identify the causes of incidents and help prevent them in the future," FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said.