FAA Proposes Requiring 25-Hour Cockpit Voice Recorders

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing to extend the cockpit voice-recording requirement to 25 hours for all newly manufactured aircraft.

The voice recorder captures all transmissions and sounds in the cockpit, including the pilots’ voices and engine noises.

“This rule will give us substantially more data to identify the causes of incidents and help prevent them in the future,” said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker.

The FAA pledged to take action on the issue following the Safety Summit in March 2023 during which more than 200 safety leaders met to discuss ways to enhance flight safety.

This rule would align with regulations set by the International Civil Aviation Organization and European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Current FAA regulations require voice recorders to retain only two hours of data.

The proposed rule is scheduled to publish in the Federal Register on Monday, December 4, 2023, and the public will have 60 days to comment on the proposal.