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Groups Back Global Plan for Tracking Commercial Flights Groups Back Global Plan for Tracking Commercial Flights
(4 months later)
MONTREAL — Airlines, governments, pilots and aircraft manufacturers all agreed at a conference on Tuesday that a global system for tracking commercial aircraft is badly needed, a United Nations aviation agency said. But the parties sidestepped a key question: whether aircrews should be able to turn off all the equipment that makes them visible. MONTREAL — Airlines, governments, pilots and aircraft manufacturers all agreed at a conference on Tuesday that a global system for tracking commercial aircraft is badly needed, a United Nations aviation agency said. But the parties sidestepped a key question: whether aircrews should be able to turn off all the equipment that makes them visible.
The issue gained urgency after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared nearly without a trace in March, while in flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing with 239 people aboard. The search for the Boeing 777 jet has been greatly complicated by the fact that several onboard communications systems stopped working around the time the plane veered off course. Investigators suspect the systems were deliberately shut off, though they will not be able to say for certain until the wreckage of the plane is found, if then.The issue gained urgency after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared nearly without a trace in March, while in flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing with 239 people aboard. The search for the Boeing 777 jet has been greatly complicated by the fact that several onboard communications systems stopped working around the time the plane veered off course. Investigators suspect the systems were deliberately shut off, though they will not be able to say for certain until the wreckage of the plane is found, if then.
The search, now focused on remote, deep waters in the Indian Ocean, has already cost tens of millions of dollars and may take years. In the meantime, safety experts say, it is hard to know what measures might have prevented the disappearance.The search, now focused on remote, deep waters in the Indian Ocean, has already cost tens of millions of dollars and may take years. In the meantime, safety experts say, it is hard to know what measures might have prevented the disappearance.
Commercial aircraft usually announce their identities and positions through a device called a transponder, and there have been calls to make it difficult or impossible to deactivate transponders from the cockpit, as hijackers have done in several instances and as someone on Flight 370 might have done.Commercial aircraft usually announce their identities and positions through a device called a transponder, and there have been calls to make it difficult or impossible to deactivate transponders from the cockpit, as hijackers have done in several instances and as someone on Flight 370 might have done.
Even so, “there are reasons why you want to have a transponder be able to be turned off,” said Nancy J. Graham, director of the air navigation bureau of the United Nations agency, the International Civil Aviation Organization. Agency officials said they would not commit to a tracking system unless it becomes obvious the plane disappeared because of a deliberate act.Even so, “there are reasons why you want to have a transponder be able to be turned off,” said Nancy J. Graham, director of the air navigation bureau of the United Nations agency, the International Civil Aviation Organization. Agency officials said they would not commit to a tracking system unless it becomes obvious the plane disappeared because of a deliberate act.
One reason is the risk of fire on board. Kevin Hiatt, senior vice president of safety and flight operations at the International Air Transport Association, an industry group that is leading a task force to explore tracking solutions, noted that the crash of Swissair Flight 111 off Nova Scotia in September 1998 taught a lesson: The probable cause was an electrical fire in the plane’s in-flight entertainment system, and if the crew could have turned it off more easily, “they would probably still be here.” All aboard that plane were killed.One reason is the risk of fire on board. Kevin Hiatt, senior vice president of safety and flight operations at the International Air Transport Association, an industry group that is leading a task force to explore tracking solutions, noted that the crash of Swissair Flight 111 off Nova Scotia in September 1998 taught a lesson: The probable cause was an electrical fire in the plane’s in-flight entertainment system, and if the crew could have turned it off more easily, “they would probably still be here.” All aboard that plane were killed.
The task force is expected to discuss using low-power devices that could report a plane’s position to a satellite every few minutes but would pose little risk for fires.The task force is expected to discuss using low-power devices that could report a plane’s position to a satellite every few minutes but would pose little risk for fires.
“The industry is in absolute solidarity about putting in place global tracking,” Ms. Graham said. But the agency’s process for establishing aviation standard takes years. For the short term, all it can do is issue recommendations, which it hopes to receive from the task force by autumn.“The industry is in absolute solidarity about putting in place global tracking,” Ms. Graham said. But the agency’s process for establishing aviation standard takes years. For the short term, all it can do is issue recommendations, which it hopes to receive from the task force by autumn.
When planes are over the open ocean, beyond the range of ground-based radar, the only tracking data available for many of them are the position reports radioed in periodically by pilots. Some planes also report their positions automatically over satellite links, but most do not.When planes are over the open ocean, beyond the range of ground-based radar, the only tracking data available for many of them are the position reports radioed in periodically by pilots. Some planes also report their positions automatically over satellite links, but most do not.
The disappearance of Flight 370 is a particular challenge for the international aviation agency after the loss of Air France Flight 447, which plunged into the Atlantic in 2009 and took two years to locate. On Tuesday, the president of the agency, Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, recalled that “its circumstances were considered almost too rare to ever happen again.The disappearance of Flight 370 is a particular challenge for the international aviation agency after the loss of Air France Flight 447, which plunged into the Atlantic in 2009 and took two years to locate. On Tuesday, the president of the agency, Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, recalled that “its circumstances were considered almost too rare to ever happen again.
“Few industry communities would respond, as aviation is now, to something this rare and this unpredictable,” he said. “But for anyone familiar with our sector, it is perhaps not so surprising that we take the loss of every single aircraft and every single life as seriously as we do.”“Few industry communities would respond, as aviation is now, to something this rare and this unpredictable,” he said. “But for anyone familiar with our sector, it is perhaps not so surprising that we take the loss of every single aircraft and every single life as seriously as we do.”
After a day and a half of meetings in Montreal, the organization announced on Tuesday that it would organize multinational drills to improve the ability to respond to crashes at sea.After a day and a half of meetings in Montreal, the organization announced on Tuesday that it would organize multinational drills to improve the ability to respond to crashes at sea.
Many airplanes already have equipment on board that could meet potential new requirements with only minor changes, officials said.Many airplanes already have equipment on board that could meet potential new requirements with only minor changes, officials said.