NTSB · Safety Recommendation
Safety Recommendation A-15-002
Recommendation
TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION: Require that all aircraft used in extended overwater operations and operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (1) Part 121 or (2) Part 135 that are required to have a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder, be equipped with an airframe low frequency underwater locating device that will function for at least 90 days and that can be detected by equipment available on military, search and rescue, and salvage assets commonly used to search for and recover wreckage.
Safety Issue and Context
The NTSB has long been concerned about rapid recovery of recorded information to guide investigations, help determine accident causes, and develop recommendations to prevent recurrences. To focus attention on this issue, the NTSB convened its Emerging Flight Data and Locator Technology Forum on October 7, 2014, in Washington, D.C. Forum discussions among government, industry, and investigative experts helped identify the following safety issues: • Need for improved technologies to locate aircraft wreckage and flight recorders following an accident in a remote location or over water
• Need for timely recovery of critical flight data following an accident in a remote location or over water This letter presents recommendations to address these safety issues and discusses open recommendations regarding cockpit image recorders and the need to protect flight recorder systems against intentional or inadvertent deactivation.
Response History
November 20, 2024 · NTSB Correspondence · FAA
On November 20, 2024, FAA staff informed us that the agency is continuing the work described in its May 23, 2023, letters regarding Safety Recommendations A-13-12 and -13 and A-18-30, and its May 30, 2023, letter regarding Safety Recommendations A-15-1 through -4, -7, and -8. We look forward to receiving your next update.
November 8, 2023 · NTSB Correspondence · FAA
We note that you are continuing your research with ICAO to determine if the SBA ADS-B’s quality and effectiveness would meet the intent of a LF-ULD. Although we believe the research you are conducting is responsive, we remind you that, to satisfy this recommendation, a 90-day operating requirement is needed in any standard that you implement.
We look forward to reviewing the findings from your research. In the meantime, pending a mandate that the specified aircraft be equipped with LF-ULDs that will function for at least 90 days, Safety Recommendation A-15-2 remains classified OPEN-- ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE.
May 30, 2023 · Recipient Response · FAA
-From Billy Nolen, Acting Administrator: As mentioned in our previous letters, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continues to work with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and our international partners to:
Better define the Global Aviation Distress and Safety System (GADSS) and Location of an Aircraft in Distress Repository;
Research Space-Based Automatic (SBA) Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B);
Research SBA ADS-B for Low Frequency-Underwater Location Device;
Define Timely Recovery of Flight Data (TRFD);
Update Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) in European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment Document ED-112B, MOPS for Crash Protected Airborne Recorder Systems;