Release #: 15.01
January 22, 2015

ALPA Statement on NTSB Safety Recommendations

The Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l (ALPA) issued the following statement from ALPA president Capt. Tim Canoll on safety recommendations announced today by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB):

"ALPA is deeply concerned that the recommendations NTSB released today related to cockpit image recorders are a premature overreaction that do not fully evaluate consequences of the recommended actions. Cockpit image recorders will not improve safety and could, in fact, impede it by diverting limited resources that could be used for more valuable safety enhancements.

"ALPA has long recommended that resources should be focused on enhancing current systems to record more data of a higher quality as opposed to video images, which are subject to misinterpretation and may in fact lead investigators away from accurate conclusions.

"We remain equally concerned as to how such proposed video recordings may be misused. The aviation industry must fully address how to protect recorded information.

"ALPA will continue to work with industry and government to develop systems that make air travel—already the safest mode of transportation—even more safe."

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilot union, representing more than 51,000 pilots at 30 airlines in the United States and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org or follow us on Twitter @WeAreALPA.

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CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org