The current requirement for cockpit voice recorders to store just two hours of data is not enough, the NTSB says in a new safety recommendation report, and 25 hours’ duration should be required. “These recommendations are derived from the NTSB’s experiences with investigations that lacked access to relevant CVR data,” the board said. In its most recent aviation investigation, into the near-miss last year in San Francisco, the board noted that cockpit voice data was not available, because the airplane had continued to fly after the incident, and by the time the board sought the data, it was too late.
The recommendation asks the FAA to uphold the 25-hour minimum for all newly manufactured airplanes that must have a CVR. Also, all airplanes now in service that are required to carry both a CVR and a flight data recorder should meet the 25-hour standard by Jan. 1, 2024. “These recommendations are derived from the NTSB’s experiences with investigations that lacked access to relevant CVR data,” the board said.
