US FAA wants new airplanes to capture more cockpit data to boost safety probes

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday said it is proposing to extend the cockpit voice-recording requirement to 25 hours for all new airplanes up from the current two-hour loop. The National Transportation Safety Board has been pushing for the change since 2018. Europe has required new airplanes to collect 25 hours of cockpit voice recordings since 2021.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday said it is proposing to extend the cockpit voice-recording requirement to 25 hours for all new airplanes up from the current two-hour loop.

The National Transportation Safety Board has been pushing for the change since 2018. The voice recorder captures transmissions and sounds in the cockpit, including the pilots' voices and engine noises. Europe has required new airplanes to collect 25 hours of cockpit voice recordings since 2021. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said the change will "give us substantially more data to identify the causes of incidents."