Mangel på FDR i mindre helikoptre - Ikke akkurat shocking news

Uansett, en interessant diskusjon om emnet vil nok åpenbare seg. Her i Norge ville slike innretninger kunne ha gitt verdifull informasjon i en lang rekke ulykker. Og ikke minst spart mye tid.

EXCLUSIVE: Shocking truth about lack of black boxes in 
police helicopters (UK)

ONLY 11 helicopters out of the 180 which have crashed in the UK in the past 10 years were fitted with a black box flight data recorder, Express Online can disclose.


Eurocopter EC135 helicopter, the same model which crashed into a Glasgow pub, and a 'black box' 

We can also reveal that not one of the 22 helicopters run by the National Police Air Service (NPAS), which provides the aircraft for most of Britain's forces, is fitted with the devices.

Black boxes, officially know as Flight Data Recorders, can provide essential information for air crash investigators trying to establish what went wrong in the moments leading up to a crash.

Legally, only commercial aircraft above a certain weight are required to be fitted with a black box, meaning police helicopters are among those exempt.

There are now growing calls for the law to be looked into, after a Scotland Police helicopter crashed into a pub in Glasgow killing 10 people last month did not have a black box.

The Government says it has no plans to discuss reforms with the Civil Aviation Authority.

Labour's Shadow Transport Secretary Mary Creagh admitted people will be "surprised" to learn of the high number of helicopters without black boxes.

She said: "A black box could potentially speed up investigations and provide answers more quickly for grieving families and accident investigators. We will be looking at all aspects of flight safety as part of our policy review."

Parliament's Transport Select Committee will launch an investigation into helicopter safety in the New Year, and one of its members, MP Sarah Champion, said: "I will be particularly interested to see the evidence for and against black boxes in aircrafts as it does seem surprising that it's not compulsory at the moment."

I suspect after this accident there will be pressure for police helicopters to have them.

Leading aviation safety expert David Learmount believes the crash in Glasgow will lead to more pressure being put on governments at both a national and European level to make it mandatory for police helicopters to carry black boxes.

Mr Learmount said the main reason why they are currently not fitted is the expense.

Adding one to a helicopter can cost many thousands of pounds.

Mr Learmount said: "They are an expense. The police could fund one but that would put up the council tax if it had to come out of the police budget.

"I suspect after this accident there will be pressure for police helicopters to have them."