The Nation - News from March 13, 1987

A congressional panel that handles the Federal Aviation Administration’s budget criticized the agency for not requiring “black box” voice and data recorders on commuter aircraft. The House Appropriations subcommittee on transportation said the FAA has ignored nearly a decade of recommendations from accident investigators to require such boxes and that it may be forced to act on the matter. Investigators have said that they have been severely hampered in several investigations, most recently one in Detroit involving a Northwest Airlink commuter plane crash that killed nine.