Recording the View from the Cockpit ??
In investigating incidents, it seemingly could be helpful to have a record of what the flight crew might have seen while looking outward from the cockpit at critical times, to help understand why the crew took (or didn't take) certain actions, and to improve future design, training, and procedures.
For instance, on this thread some are busily speculating whether the view of the runway might briefly (or partly) have been obscured by patchy clouds or fog, or perhaps by trees mistaken for patchy clouds or fog. Did they see the entire runway, or only the far end? Could they see the PAPI and the strobe near the runway threshold? (I won't even touch the "mirage" theories. And yes, perhaps what the crew saw is pointless, as they never should have been so low at that location and immediately should have initiated a go-around, but for some reason they didn't and we need to understand why).
There have been other instances in which questions arose about whether a crew might have mistaken a nearby road for the runway, or if a crew's view was seriously impaired by the rising sun or blowing sand or heavy rain. Then there are (alleged or actual) laser beams impairing view or sunlight reflecting, taxiway collisions, runway excursions, various illusions....
I could list dozens of other examples, but the point seems self-evident.
Recording inside the cockpit (showing the flight crew) understandably is very controversial. But would it make sense (and is it technically feasible) to record outward, and capture that data on future data recorders?
A camera cannot exactly replicate what a crew could see -- camera height, angle, positioning, focal length, color, and light sensitivity are just some variables (though software can try to compensate). Unlike a camera the crew also must do more than constantly scan outward, with nary a blink.
There also is the "ghoul" factor. In the YouTube era, the NTSB or other applicable entity would have to safeguard the video as it does the CVR tape.
Still, is this an idea worth considering, or is it unnecessary (or too controversial as potentially the nose of the camel entering the tent)?