Video in Cockpits Could Help Solve Air Crashes, Says IATA Chief

TDT | Manama

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The head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Willie Walsh, said on Wednesday that there’s a strong case for installing video cameras inside airplane cockpits to help with accident investigations.

His comments come after a preliminary report on last month’s Air India crash revealed that the aircraft’s engine fuel switches had been turned off. The report, released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), didn’t blame anyone but noted that one pilot questioned the other about cutting the fuel. The second pilot reportedly denied doing it.

The tragic crash, which happened on June 12, killed 241 people on board and 19 people on the ground. Only one passenger survived.

Walsh, who is also a former airline pilot, said he understands why some pilots may be uncomfortable with video cameras in the cockpit. However, he believes video footage, along with the usual voice recordings, could provide valuable insight during investigations.

"It’s possible that having video could really help investigators understand what happened," he said.

When asked whether the design of cockpits should be changed to prevent accidental shutdown of critical systems like engine fuel switches, Walsh said IATA would wait for the full investigation report before making any recommendations.

He added that the initial report had more details than many expected and praised the efforts of the investigation team.

Some independent aviation experts have already speculated that the crash may have been caused by either a mistake or a deliberate action by someone in the cockpit. The Air India flight, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was headed to London when it crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad, India.