In flight Pilot suicide
Last night (Fri) a UK TV channel aired a 60 min prog to consider how many civil carrier a/c crashes may have been due to pilot suicide (deliberate action). 8-9 crashes were cited with only one confirmed by radio tx
The NTSB official supported flight cockpit video recorders at a Congressional hearing, rejected by ALPA. Psychological testing within a pilot's medical was considered unworkable by the Industry, despite acceptance & implementation by JAL
The B 737 was involved in several incidents (known control surface probs)
In many cases FDR showed no mech malfunction, CVR was 'ambiguous' and the accident investigation conclusion was 'speculative' or 'conjecture'
Would accident investigation be aided by cockpit video recorder or a more comprehensive digital FDR?