DGCA for cameras in cockpits to improve flying safety

Do you know what your flight's pilot is doing in the cockpit? You wouldn't. And the dangerous part is, there are even times when you would come to know of a close shave only from the next day's newspaper.

But this situation is going to change. According to a report in the Times of India today, the Director General of Civil Aviation is considering installing cameras in cockpits, which it hopes will help improve safety.

DGCA's plan is to ask airlines to maintain a record of these camera recordings for sometime.

The move seems to be aimed at improving the safety records of India's aviation sector, which recently took a hit after the International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) audit. PTI[/caption]

The move seems to be aimed at improving the safety records of India's aviation sector, which recently took a hit after the International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) audit.

"Icao has identified a significant safety concern with respect of the ability of this state (India) to properly oversee its airlines (air operators) under is jurisdiction," the UN agency was quoted as saying in a report in Mint in March.

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According to the report, India figures along with countries like Angola, Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Malawi, and Sao Tome and Principe as far as air safety is concerned.

In April, there were two instances of irresponsible behaviour from pilots. One was when two Air India pilots went off to sleep after handing over the Bangkok-Delhi flight to the attendants who inadvertently turned off the auto pilot.

The second one was when another Air India flight landed on a cross-runway in the Mumbai airport without air traffic controller's clearance. The run way was reportedly closed.

In both the cases, the passengers luckily escaped unhurt.

Pilots falling asleep is nothing new. In fact, as per a survey by the British Airline Pilots Association as much as 43 percent of its pilots fell asleep while flying.

In India too, the situation is not very different. According to the ToI report, commonly on long-haul flights one pilot goes to sleep after informing the co-pilot.

In 2008, an Air India flight plying from Jaipur to Mumbai, overshot the destination and covered half way to Goa as both the pilots were fast asleep. Passengers, however, were blissfully unaware of this.

If the DGCA's plans go through, one should presume such incidents will not happen.

But, according to the ToI report, the regulator expects stiff opposition from the pilots and air hostesses, which is natural. Who would be comfortable with being electronically monitored like this?

However, the DGCA is reportedly adamant about introducing the reform.

But for passengers, seeing pilots' deeds inside the cockpit could well be an added tension rather than a relief.