Cameras Next in the Cockpit?

The installation of cockpit cameras would significantly aid aviation safety authorities in investigating accidents such as the recent fatal Air India crash, according to the head of the International Air Transport Association.

“On a personal basis, I can see that there is a strong argument now for the inclusion of video,” said Director General Willie Walsh on Wednesday in Singapore. “Based on what little we know now, it’s quite possible that a video recording, in addition to the voice recording, would significantly assist the investigators.”

The concept of cockpit cameras has been hotly debated for decades but has re-emerged as a focal point following last month’s Air India crash in Ahmedabad. A preliminary report into the disaster, which claimed the lives of 260 people aboard the Boeing Co. 787 and on the ground, revealed that the aircraft’s fuel-supply switches had been turned off — effectively dooming the jet shortly after takeoff.

So far, authorities have only released a brief transcript indicating one pilot asked the other why the fuel supply was turned off, with the second pilot responding that he had not done so.

It remains unclear whether this exchange was the entirety of the cockpit conversation. Authorities also did not specify which pilot made which statement, leaving the critical question of how the switches were moved to the cut-off position unresolved. Still, Walsh noted that the initial report was more detailed than anticipated.