Air India crash rekindles debate over cockpit video recorders
One of the industry's most influential voices, International Air Transport Association head Willie Walsh, a former airline pilot, said on Wednesday in Singapore there was a strong argument for video cameras to be installed in airliner cockpits to monitor pilot actions to complement voice and flight data recorders already used by accident investigators.
Aviation experts have said a preliminary report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) raised questions over whether one of the pilots of Air India flight 171 cut off fuel to the Boeing 787's engines seconds after takeoff, leading to an irrecoverable situation.
The crash in Ahmedabad, India, killed 241 of the 242 people aboard, as well as 19 people on the ground.
As of now, '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 in conducting that investigation on the issue of mental health,' Walsh said.
Advocates for cockpit video cameras say the footage could fill in gaps left by the audio and data recorders, while opponents say concerns about privacy and misuse outweigh what they argue are marginal benefits for investigations.
Video footage was 'invaluable' to Australian crash investigators determining what led to Robinson R66 helicopter breaking up in mid-air in 2023, killing the pilot, the only person aboard, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's final report, which was released 18 days after the Air India crash.
The video showed 'the pilot was occupied with non-flying related tasks for much of this time, specifically, mobile phone use and the consumption of food and beverages,' the report said.
The ATSB commended Robinson Helicopters for providing factory-installed cameras and said it encouraged other manufacturers and owners to consider the ongoing safety benefits of similar devices.
In 2000, US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Jim Hall urged the Federal Aviation Administration to require commercial airliners be equipped with cockpit image recorders.
Hall's recommendation came in the wake of 1999's Egyptair Flight 990 crash, when the first officer intentionally crashed the Boeing 767, according to the NTSB, killing all 217 people on board.
'In the balance between privacy and safety, the scale tips toward safety, unequivocally,' air safety expert and former commercial airline pilot John Nance said. 'Protecting the flying public is a sacred obligation.'
Another aviation safety expert, Anthony Brickhouse, said that as an accident investigator, he is in favor of cockpit video, but acknowledged that commercial pilots have real concerns.
Video on Air India flight 171 'would have answered lots of questions,' he said.
Air India declined to comment. India's AAIB, which is expected to release a final report within a year of the crash under international rules, did not reply to request for comment.
US pilots' unions such as the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and Allied Pilots Association (APA) say the voice and data recorders already provide enough information to determine the cause of a crash and that the cameras would be an invasion of privacy and could be misused.
Calls for cockpit cameras are an understandable reaction to 'the stress of not knowing what happened immediately after an accident,' said APA spokesperson Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines pilot.
'I can understand the initial reaction of the more information, the better,' but investigators already have enough data to adequately determine an accident's cause, leaving no need for cameras, he said.
To make flying safer, current safety systems should be enhanced to record higher-quality data, rather than adding video cameras, an ALPA spokeperson said.
There are also concerns the footage could be used by airlines for disciplinary actions or that video could be leaked to the public after a crash, said John Cox, an aviation safety expert, retired airline pilot and former ALPA executive air safety chairman.
A pilot's death being broadcast on 'the 6 o'clock news is not something that the pilot's family should ever have to go through,' he said.
If confidentiality can be assured around the world, 'I can see an argument' for installing cameras, Cox said.
Cockpit voice recordings are typically kept confidential by investigators in favor of partial or full transcripts being released in final reports.
Despite that, International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations said it was skeptical that confidentiality could ever be assured for cockpit videos.
'Given the high demand for sensational pictures, IFALPA has absolutely no doubt that the protection of (airborne image recorder) data, which can include identifiable images of flight crewmembers, would not be ensured either,' the organization said in a statement.
Boeing declined to disclose whether customers are able to order cockpit video recorders, while Airbus did not reply to request for comment.
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For the best viewing experience, the observatory recommends heading out between 3am and 6.45am. For more on the meteor shower experience in Singapore, read here. A meteor rain, or two, could light up Singapore's night sky and we are talking about a literal meteor shower – not the reunion of Taiwanese boyband F4 that grabbed headlines a couple weeks ago. Skywatchers in Singapore can look forward to two meteor showers over the coming weeks, according to The Observatory at Science Centre Singapore. The Delta Aquariids and the Perseids are annual events and provide opportunities for stargazing enthusiasts to catch meteors streaking across the night sky. The Delta Aquariids, which will peak around July 30, originate from Comet 96P/Machholz. The comet was discovered in 1986 by American amateur astronomer Donald Machholz, who is credited with more than a dozen comet discoveries. The meteors from this shower appear to radiate from the constellation Aquarius. While the Delta Aquariids are not known for large numbers of meteors, they still offer a steady rate of about two to five meteors per hour. These meteors travel at speeds of roughly 40km per second and may leave glowing gas trails that linger briefly in the sky. The Perseids, considered one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year, will peak on the nights of August 12 and 13. For the best viewing experience, the observatory recommends heading out between 3am and 6.45am. For more on the meteor shower experience in Singapore, read here. Investigation underway for unauthorised post on SMRT's X account SMRT reported an unauthorised post that appeared on its official X account late on 27 July. The post featured a photo of a South Asian woman in traditional attire with the single-letter caption "R". The post was published at 11.08pm and remained online for roughly 10 minutes before being removed, according to The Straits Times (ST). 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In response to the crisis, the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia are set to meet for mediation talks in Malaysia on 28 July at 3pm local time, at the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya. For more on SIA flights to Cambodia and Thailand, read here. Singapore Airlines (SIA) flights between Singapore and both Cambodia and Thailand continue to operate as scheduled, despite a deadly border conflict between the latter two Southeast Asian nations. A spokesperson for the SIA Group said that passenger and crew safety remains the airline's top priority. 'We will continue to monitor the situation closely and adjust our flights where necessary,' the spokesperson said. The conflict between Thailand and Cambodia escalated into deadly violence on 24 July, with military forces clashing at several points along the border, and leaving at least 12 people killed. This flare-up is rooted in historical disagreements dating back more than a century and centres around the Emerald Triangle, a region where Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos converge. In response to the crisis, the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia are set to meet for mediation talks in Malaysia on 28 July at 3pm local time, at the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya. For more on SIA flights to Cambodia and Thailand, read here. Infant in India bites cobra to death A one-year-old boy in the northern Indian state of Bihar reportedly bit a cobra to death after the snake coiled itself around his hands. According to local news reports, the incident occurred while the child, identified only by his first name Govinda, was playing outside his home in the town of Bettiah, near the Indo-Nepal border. "When we saw the snake in the child's hand, everyone rushed towards him, but in the meantime, he already bit the snake, killing it on the spot," the boy's grandmother told reporters. 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As a safety measure, PUB announced a time-out across similar sewer construction works in Singapore. This pause will allow the agency to review safety practices and ensure that proper protocols are in place to prevent similar incidents. For more on the sinkhole incident, read here. A concrete structure at a PUB worksite along Tanjong Katong Road South failed at about 5.50pm on 26 July, according to a statement by the national water agency. The structure was part of a shaft under construction at the site. Around the same time, a sinkhole appeared on the road next to the worksite, causing a black car to fall in. The driver managed to escape from the vehicle on her own and was rescued by construction workers. PUB said the ongoing project involved building a 16-metre-deep shaft to link three existing sewer lines. The failure was linked to a caisson ring, but the exact cause of the structural collapse has not yet been determined. Investigations are currently underway. As a safety measure, PUB announced a time-out across similar sewer construction works in Singapore. This pause will allow the agency to review safety practices and ensure that proper protocols are in place to prevent similar incidents. For more on the sinkhole incident, read here. Arsenal edge Newcastle 3-2 as Dowman shines off the bench Arsenal secured their second win in a row during their pre-season tour of Asia with a 3-2 victory over Newcastle at the National Stadium in Singapore. Coming off a narrow 1-0 win against AC Milan, Arsenal once again showed determination, especially as they had to come from behind, and later, defend their lead. Newcastle took an early lead just six minutes into the match when their new £55 million signing, Anthony Elanga, scored with a shot that deflected twice before bouncing in off the post. It was Newcastle's first meaningful attack and gave them the early advantage. Arsenal responded well, with Mikel Merino levelling the score after receiving a smart pass from teammate Kai Havertz, and placing the ball accurately into the corner of the net. Just moments later, they gained the lead when Newcastle's young defender Alex Murphy accidentally turned a low cross from Havertz into his own goal. By halftime, Arsenal had taken control of the match, showing improved teamwork and fluid attacking movements. For more on the Arsenal-Newcastle match in Singapore, read here. Arsenal secured their second win in a row during their pre-season tour of Asia with a 3-2 victory over Newcastle at the National Stadium in Singapore. Coming off a narrow 1-0 win against AC Milan, Arsenal once again showed determination, especially as they had to come from behind, and later, defend their lead. Newcastle took an early lead just six minutes into the match when their new £55 million signing, Anthony Elanga, scored with a shot that deflected twice before bouncing in off the post. It was Newcastle's first meaningful attack and gave them the early advantage. Arsenal responded well, with Mikel Merino levelling the score after receiving a smart pass from teammate Kai Havertz, and placing the ball accurately into the corner of the net. Just moments later, they gained the lead when Newcastle's young defender Alex Murphy accidentally turned a low cross from Havertz into his own goal. By halftime, Arsenal had taken control of the match, showing improved teamwork and fluid attacking movements. For more on the Arsenal-Newcastle match in Singapore, read here. More teen births in 2024, gradual increase from 2022 More teenagers in Singapore are becoming mothers, marking a reversal of a steady decline in teen births in the past 20 years, according to the Report on Registration of Births and Deaths 2024 released by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. In 2024, 244 babies were born to teens aged 19 or younger, up 7 per cent from 228 in 2023. There were 218 teen births in 2022. The Health Ministry also noted that in the past five years, the average age of pregnant teens was 18. Ms Melisa Wong, executive director at Babes Pregnancy Crisis Support, cited multiple factors behind the rise. She said that during the Covid-19 pandemic, many teens felt isolated or struggled with other negative emotions, and some may have engaged in unprotected sex to seek connection or to cope with whatever they were going through. Ms Wong added that while teens are exploring relationships at younger age, some may not use contraceptives for various reasons. She also pointed out that part of the increase in teen births may also be due to a decline in abortions. For more on Singapore's teen pregnancy stats, read here. More teenagers in Singapore are becoming mothers, marking a reversal of a steady decline in teen births in the past 20 years, according to the Report on Registration of Births and Deaths 2024 released by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. In 2024, 244 babies were born to teens aged 19 or younger, up 7 per cent from 228 in 2023. There were 218 teen births in 2022. The Health Ministry also noted that in the past five years, the average age of pregnant teens was 18. Ms Melisa Wong, executive director at Babes Pregnancy Crisis Support, cited multiple factors behind the rise. She said that during the Covid-19 pandemic, many teens felt isolated or struggled with other negative emotions, and some may have engaged in unprotected sex to seek connection or to cope with whatever they were going through. Ms Wong added that while teens are exploring relationships at younger age, some may not use contraceptives for various reasons. She also pointed out that part of the increase in teen births may also be due to a decline in abortions. For more on Singapore's teen pregnancy stats, read here.
