xcitation;
What harm could it do?
I realize you're not alone in the view expressed regarding possession of flight data, so I appreciate your response.
From an experienced view, (35 years flying transports, 25 concurrent years doing flight data analysis and running FOQA programs), the general thrust of the interminable argument,"
give us the data and we'll make up our own minds about how this accident occurred", notwithstanding a scent of underlying arrogance, has sufficient flaws in it to cause a lot of material harm to established flight safety processes in which the industry has invested billions and for which our passengers may be thankful in terms of real outcomes.
In any one instance we are always a breath away from the threat of subpoena of the data, not for the purposes of advancing this or that principle of operational flight safety but for reasons of legal discovery. Such turns in the purposes of flight data would ultimately destroy these programs which, at the present time, airlines are increasinbly embracing. The industry would rapidly respond to any "public interest release" of flight data with the logical question, "Why voluntarily collect the prosecution's evidence?"
At least in the U.S., the FAA has chosen to protect FOQA data so long as the carrier in question is conducting such a program in accordance with the FARs. In Canada, no such protection and no such legislation exists, (in fact, either under the CARs or the Aeronautics Act, flight data analysis programs are not required in Canada), and in Asia flight data is used by most carriers to fine pilots, punish them and otherwise enforce strict behaviours. It is a most unenlightened use of safety information.
The outcomes of distributing data for a specific accident to all and sundry for individual purposes as per the arguments on these threads are at most, indeterminate, the benefits abundantly unclear, the arguments conflated.
The desire for access to "all" the data is first illusory as there is insufficent data to resolve some of the questions genuinely asked, and second, demonstrates an obvious lack of concern and understanding for why flight data is expensively collected and legally protected (at least in the U.S.), for use in safety programs. Flight data is not for the use of those who have an agenda and wish to use data to prove it. I have encountered many internal requests for such data and always, there is a point of view wanting evidence, the desire to enhance flight safety nowhere to be seen.
The counter-argument is clear: The release through some legal fashion (because it certainly will not occur voluntarily) may satisfy a tiny group's desire for a bit more data but,it will never resolve some questions and will always raise others, and unless one is willing and capable of going where the data leads and does not bring preconceived notions of how and why this accident occurred, more data will resolve nothing.
One only need view what happened when AF447's data was released in May, 2011 (IIRC) which was going to end the questions. For demanding "more", it settled and will settle nothing, primarily because the data was not in accord with their views of how the accident occurred because
surely something was being kept hidden and secret or they just plain aren't experienced at interpreting flight data and don't fly airplanes. Believe it or not in this day of internet 'experts', some things do take years to understand in order to employ judiciously, and if one has an agenda, the interpretation of flight data will most certainly cause harm for obvious reasons.
There is one legitimate frustration in terms of there not being sufficient data for those who understand flight data, the frustration was the absence of certain parameters, some being what the PF's PFD & ND displays were showing during the UAS event. Resolving that problem is complicated and expensive and if you wish for further I can delve into the details of why this is so.
I hope this has illustrated why harm can come to flight safety programs and FOQA specifically should the release of flight data occur in the ways contemplated here.