TSB renews calls for black boxes after Lake Country plane crash

As Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigators try to unravel the crash that killed former Alberta premier Jim Prentice and three others, the board is calling on Transport Canada to force more aircraft to carry so-called “black boxes.”

In a statement released yesterday, the TSB said its investigation of the crash is being hindered by the absence of any cockpit or flight data recording devices.

“The absence of a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) or a Flight Data Recorder (FDR) will make this investigation particularly challenging,” the TSB said in the release.

According to the TSB, the Cessna Citation was privately-operated, and wasn’t equipped with, or required to carry, a CVR or FDR.

In Canada, only airplanes meeting certain criteria are required to carry the devices: they must be multi-engine, turbine powered, commercial aircraft, and have at least two pilots flying them and at least six passengers on board.

“Transport Canada requires medium and large commercial aircraft to be equipped with onboard flight recorders, but there are still no requirements for such recorders on smaller aircraft,” explained the TSB’s chair, Kathy Fox.

Fox said the board has been recommending more stringent requirements since 1991.

“This latest accident is another reminder of how important these recorders are. If we are to get to the underlying causes of these tragic accidents, Transport Canada and the aviation industry need to take immediate action to address this outstanding safety issue,” Fox said.

Today, Minister of Transport Marc Garneau issued a statement saying Transport Canada takes the TSB’s recommendations “very seriously,” and that he’s instructed his staff to “look into expanding requirements” for flight data and cockpit recorders.

“Over the past 20 years, there have been significant developments in technology that are more cost-effective and these options will be explored. I've also asked departmental officials to examine the regulatory framework to see what can be implemented. I've asked the department to report their findings to me in the coming months,” the statement read.

The TSB has five investigators at the crash sight, and says it will likely be a year before they are finished their investigation.