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FAA says no tech capable of stopping cockpit sabotage
The US Federal Aviation Authority says there is no effective failsafe way to prevent pilot sabotage.
In a response to a question from the National Transportation Safety Board following the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, the agency said there was no legal or technologically feasible solution to ensure electronics in the cockpit are completely tamper-proof.
The NTSB had asked that black box recorders and other mission critical electronics be designed to prevent them being switched off.
Pilots needed the option to cut the power in the event of overheating or fire, the FAA said.
"There appears to be no safe way to ensure recorders cannot be intentionally disabled while keeping the airplane safe from electrical failure that could become hazardous," FAA Administrator Michael Huerta wrote in a letter to NTSB officials, according to a Bloomberg News report.
The FAA also rejected a call to install video cameras in cockpits, saying there is "no compelling evidence" it would assist any investigation.
The final position of flight MH370 carrying 239 people still remains a mystery, while evidence points to the theory that the plane was deliberately flown off course and its radios and tracking equipment were manually switched off.
The issue of cockpit safety has only intensified since then following the Germanwings crash in the French Alps earlier this year.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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