Downed AirAsia Flight Took Off From The Worst Major Country For Air Safety Oversight

Until the black box is recovered from AirAsia flight QZ8501, we won’t know what caused it to crash into the Java Sea on Dec. 28.

One factor that may have put the flight at a safety disadvantage before it took off is the country it left from. Indonesia has by far the poorest oversight of aviation safety of any of the world’s major countries, according to the United Nations agency for civil aviation — and the latest audit, eight months ago, suggests it’s heading in the wrong direction.

For the last 16 years, the International Civil Aviation Organization has audited countries’ laws and resources for regulating air safety. Auditors have sought to answer such questions as: Is the country’s oversight body free from political influence? Does it have enough qualified staff to assess airlines? Are airlines sufficiently disciplined when they are in breach of safety rules?

More details here.