Pilots object to tapes being released

Press, 19 September 1985, Page 44

Pilots object to tapes being released

PA Auckland Pilots wanted legislation that would protect the confidentiality of plane flight recorders, said an an Airline Pilots’ Association spokesman, Mr Peter Rhodes, on Monday. This follows a request for a flight tape by an American court considering the claim of a woman whose back was hurt in turbulence over Christchurch in February. Airline pilots have threatened to disconnect all flight recorders if the tape is made available to the court. Mr Rhodes said a compromise was being sought to avoid the pilot action.

Pilots would be satisfied if the flight recorder data was given to the American equivalent of an inspector of air accidents for interpreta-

tion to the court, he said. Air New Zealand could not refuse to hand the tape to the court, but on behalf of the pilots’ group the airline was pressing for proper examination of the data. Mr Rhodes said pilots wanted the Civil Aviation Division of the Ministry of Transport to put up legislation that would protect the tapes for those who could use the data properly. Pilots favoured wider use of flight recorders if this were done. But the Minister of Transport, Mr Prebble, said on the week-end that Civil Aviation officials did their best to preserve the confidentiality of plane flight recorders.

“It appears to me the pilots are talking to the media and not to the Minister,” Mr Prebble said.