Nevets
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ALPA Deplores Public Release of Fatal Accident Cockpit Voice Recording
Exploitation Demonstrates Immediate Need for Legal Protection
WASHINGTON—Capt. John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), condemned the recent online publication of the cockpit voice recordings from the jet aircraft involved in a midair collision that took place more than two years ago. The audio recordings, which were released by the Brazilian prosecutor in the case, can be found in their entirety in the current online edition of a U.S. magazine.
“This type of exploitation is exactly why airline pilots the world over remain adamant that recording devices installed in our cockpits must be protected and kept absolutely private no matter where we fly,” said Prater. “In the United States and Canada, the release of such information by government investigative bodies is strictly controlled by law, but once a U.S. or Canadian aircraft leaves North America, these privacy protections evaporate.”
Professional pilots recognize the safety benefit of the cockpit voice recorder and allow that intrusion into their workplace to advance aviation safety, not to provide fodder for sensational journalism, explained Prater. The release of the audio recording of the final moments in the lives of the Gol B-737 pilots as they struggled to save their airliner and of the conversation of the ExcelAire crew have no place in the news media. Publication of these recordings in any form by the news media should be prohibited by law in every country.
Recent remarks by U.S. NTSB officials suggest that there would be benefit in additional recording capability. The NTSB has made such a recommendation on its list of “Most Wanted Transportation Safety Improvements.”
“The carelessness of the Brazilian government in releasing these recordings and the tasteless actions of this magazine in making the recordings available online for commercial gain threaten aviation safety and demonstrate once again that the cockpit recordings cannot be protected,” said Prater. “We cannot begin to have an objective discussion about the safety value of recording additional activity in the cockpit until our pilots have iron-clad assurances from the global aviation community, governments, and regulators that such recordings will be strictly controlled and used only for their intended purpose—enhancing flight safety.”
ALPA maintains that this problem must be addressed immediately. The union recognizes the need to broaden efforts to improve safety data collection but this must be balanced with the need to protect that data from misuse. ALPA has long underscored that other methods of obtaining higher-quality safety data exist without running the risk of egregious violations of pilots’ privacy. Capitalizing on higher-fidelity data recording, capturing the forces exerted on cockpit controls, and sampling greater numbers of flight parameters more often could all help obtain the objective data that would improve accident and incident investigation.
“ALPA calls on the incoming U.S. administration to work through the International Civil Aviation Organization to immediately set st
ALPA Says Brazilian Report Downplays ATC System Deficiencies in Midair Collision
ALPA has taken the position that a Brazilian report on a 2006 midair collision between an airliner and a business jet ignores the severity of the air traffic control system deficiencies that contributed to the tragedy. Moreover, the Brazilian legal system, by pursuing criminal prosecution of the pilots and controllers, is thwarting the global aviation industry’s ability to improve safety.
“The accident investigators found that this midair collision, like virtually all airline accidents, was the result of many factors,” said Capt. Rory Kay, ALPA’s executive air safety chairman. “In its report to the Brazilian government, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board lays out many safety concerns, including serious deficiencies in Brazil’s air traffic control system, and urges rapid improvements to help prevent a similar tragedy from occurring again.”
ALPA maintains that the report issued by the Brazilian government fails to fully reflect the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) information and recommendations. “ALPA urges the Brazilian government to reevaluate their conclusions in light of the input made by their U.S. colleagues,” said Kay. “We encourage them to swiftly continue actions to enhance safety for all aircraft operating in Brazilian airspace.”
The Association’s pilots have long recognized that the goal of accident investigation is to learn everything possible about how to prevent a similar accident from happening again. ALPA, which is the world’s largest nongovernmental aviation safety and security organization, asserts that criminalizing those involved does nothing to achieve that goal.
“The facts clearly show that there are opportunities to improve the aviation system by addressing deficiencies in the air traffic control system, potential design problems with the aircraft, and mistakes by the professionals,” said Capt. John Prater, ALPA’s president. “It is equally clear that no person acted with any intent to do harm.”
ALPA’s Safety Committee has long held among its top priorities developing regulatory and investigative policies to prevent the criminalization of aircraft incidents and accidents throughout the world.
“The threat of criminal prosecution hinders information-gathering and data-sharing, which form the foundation of accident investigation,” continued Prater. “Pursuing prosecution for the alleged mistakes of professional airmen is misguided and incompatible with preventing future accidents.”
ALPA calls on aviation professionals in government and industry throughout the world to create an environment that fosters a “just culture” in which identification of safety deficiencies is used only for the purpose of making the aviation system as safe as possible.
“ALPA urges the Brazilian government in the strongest terms possible to abandon this ill-conceived effort to arbitrarily assign criminal liability in this accident,” concluded Prater. “Our society must honor all who have suffered by making theirs a legacy of a safer air transportation system.”
Exploitation Demonstrates Immediate Need for Legal Protection
WASHINGTON—Capt. John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), condemned the recent online publication of the cockpit voice recordings from the jet aircraft involved in a midair collision that took place more than two years ago. The audio recordings, which were released by the Brazilian prosecutor in the case, can be found in their entirety in the current online edition of a U.S. magazine.
“This type of exploitation is exactly why airline pilots the world over remain adamant that recording devices installed in our cockpits must be protected and kept absolutely private no matter where we fly,” said Prater. “In the United States and Canada, the release of such information by government investigative bodies is strictly controlled by law, but once a U.S. or Canadian aircraft leaves North America, these privacy protections evaporate.”
Professional pilots recognize the safety benefit of the cockpit voice recorder and allow that intrusion into their workplace to advance aviation safety, not to provide fodder for sensational journalism, explained Prater. The release of the audio recording of the final moments in the lives of the Gol B-737 pilots as they struggled to save their airliner and of the conversation of the ExcelAire crew have no place in the news media. Publication of these recordings in any form by the news media should be prohibited by law in every country.
Recent remarks by U.S. NTSB officials suggest that there would be benefit in additional recording capability. The NTSB has made such a recommendation on its list of “Most Wanted Transportation Safety Improvements.”
“The carelessness of the Brazilian government in releasing these recordings and the tasteless actions of this magazine in making the recordings available online for commercial gain threaten aviation safety and demonstrate once again that the cockpit recordings cannot be protected,” said Prater. “We cannot begin to have an objective discussion about the safety value of recording additional activity in the cockpit until our pilots have iron-clad assurances from the global aviation community, governments, and regulators that such recordings will be strictly controlled and used only for their intended purpose—enhancing flight safety.”
ALPA maintains that this problem must be addressed immediately. The union recognizes the need to broaden efforts to improve safety data collection but this must be balanced with the need to protect that data from misuse. ALPA has long underscored that other methods of obtaining higher-quality safety data exist without running the risk of egregious violations of pilots’ privacy. Capitalizing on higher-fidelity data recording, capturing the forces exerted on cockpit controls, and sampling greater numbers of flight parameters more often could all help obtain the objective data that would improve accident and incident investigation.
“ALPA calls on the incoming U.S. administration to work through the International Civil Aviation Organization to immediately set st
ALPA Says Brazilian Report Downplays ATC System Deficiencies in Midair Collision
ALPA has taken the position that a Brazilian report on a 2006 midair collision between an airliner and a business jet ignores the severity of the air traffic control system deficiencies that contributed to the tragedy. Moreover, the Brazilian legal system, by pursuing criminal prosecution of the pilots and controllers, is thwarting the global aviation industry’s ability to improve safety.
“The accident investigators found that this midair collision, like virtually all airline accidents, was the result of many factors,” said Capt. Rory Kay, ALPA’s executive air safety chairman. “In its report to the Brazilian government, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board lays out many safety concerns, including serious deficiencies in Brazil’s air traffic control system, and urges rapid improvements to help prevent a similar tragedy from occurring again.”
ALPA maintains that the report issued by the Brazilian government fails to fully reflect the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) information and recommendations. “ALPA urges the Brazilian government to reevaluate their conclusions in light of the input made by their U.S. colleagues,” said Kay. “We encourage them to swiftly continue actions to enhance safety for all aircraft operating in Brazilian airspace.”
The Association’s pilots have long recognized that the goal of accident investigation is to learn everything possible about how to prevent a similar accident from happening again. ALPA, which is the world’s largest nongovernmental aviation safety and security organization, asserts that criminalizing those involved does nothing to achieve that goal.
“The facts clearly show that there are opportunities to improve the aviation system by addressing deficiencies in the air traffic control system, potential design problems with the aircraft, and mistakes by the professionals,” said Capt. John Prater, ALPA’s president. “It is equally clear that no person acted with any intent to do harm.”
ALPA’s Safety Committee has long held among its top priorities developing regulatory and investigative policies to prevent the criminalization of aircraft incidents and accidents throughout the world.
“The threat of criminal prosecution hinders information-gathering and data-sharing, which form the foundation of accident investigation,” continued Prater. “Pursuing prosecution for the alleged mistakes of professional airmen is misguided and incompatible with preventing future accidents.”
ALPA calls on aviation professionals in government and industry throughout the world to create an environment that fosters a “just culture” in which identification of safety deficiencies is used only for the purpose of making the aviation system as safe as possible.
“ALPA urges the Brazilian government in the strongest terms possible to abandon this ill-conceived effort to arbitrarily assign criminal liability in this accident,” concluded Prater. “Our society must honor all who have suffered by making theirs a legacy of a safer air transportation system.”
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