THE fact that a new police helicopter is to be fitted with a black box recorder is a step in the right direction, but families of those killed in the Clutha crash in Glasgow in 2013 want all passenger-carrying aircraft to have these installed as a matter of urgency.
They believe that if police helicopter EC 135 T2, which crashed through the roof of the Clutha bar, had had a flight recorder on board it could have given them vital answers as to what went wrong. Instead, they are left with an “inconclusive” Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB) report, which is cold comfort.
Legally, only commercial aircraft above a certain weight are required to be fitted with a black box.
Aviation experts have insisted the lack of a flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder on board the police helicopter – which was not required to have them – had a significant effect on the AAIB’s efforts to investigate the tragedy.
We need legislation or regulation to ensure proper flight recorders are mandatory on all commercial and public service aircraft.
New police helicopter to be fitted with data recorder following Glasgow's Clutha tragedy
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