Seeking a black box alternative

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Aviation expert suggests real-time data transmission

AGENCIES

PARIS - Whether or not the black box from Air France Flight 447 is found, the crash has shown that new technology is needed to record a flight's last moments in real-time, an aviation expert said.

Mr Pierre Jeanniot, former Air Canada chief executive and former head of the International Air Transport Association, helped pioneer flight data recorders 40 years ago, but says "black boxes" are now obsolete.

"Real-time data transmission from the cockpit by satellite is a lot less costly than it was 10 years ago. It is now possible to transmit everything directly during the flight if there is a problem."

Mr Jeanniot said an automatic system for data transmission of flight information by satellite exists and should now become the norm in the industry.

The new advanced technology would eliminate the need for costly and often futile searches for black boxes at the bottom of the ocean or deep in the jungle, using helicopters, submarines and mobilising rescue teams.

More importantly, the valuable data would help grieving families.

"Can you imagine how hard it is for families to be left not knowing what happened for months, sometimes years?" said Mr Jeanniot.

The head of the Air France pilots' union, Mr Gerard Arnoux, said modern planes were already transmitting data by satellite and that this was the "absolutely intelligent thing to do".

But the head of a smaller pilots' union, Mr France Alter, said the system raised confidentiality issues.

"If everything is being recorded, the voice of pilots who are talking about their lives or other matters, what do you do with this information and how can you be sure that the airline is not going to gain access to it?" asked Mr Christopher Presenti.

Meanwhile, a Brazilian ship recovered three more bodies from the Atlantic on Friday, bringing the body count to 48.

From TODAY, World – Weekend, 13/14-Jun-2009

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