NTSB Issues Recommendation A-15-001 to FAA on Extended Overwater Flight Recorders

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued Recommendation A-15-001, identified as DCA14SS009, addressed directly to the Federal Aviation Administration. This directive urges the agency to mandate that all aircraft engaged in extended overwater operations under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 or Part 135 be equipped with specific safety technology. The requirement applies specifically to aircraft that are already mandated to carry both a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder. Under the proposed rule, these aircraft must utilize a tamper-resistant method to broadcast sufficient information to a ground station. This broadcast capability is intended to establish the location where an aircraft terminates flight as the result of an accident within 6 nautical miles of the point of impact. The recommendation aims to improve post-accident recovery efforts for overwater incidents by ensuring critical data is transmitted automatically upon termination of flight.