Air Accident Investigation Unit: Transcripts of R116 conversations help understand the crash
Transcripts of the final conversations onboard a doomed coastguard helicopter have helped understand the crash, according to The Air Accident Investigation Unit.
The Unit has been defending its decision to release details of the R116 audio, which appeared in the media last week.
It said it is satisfied that best practice was followed in the publication of the transcripts of the cockpit voice recordings from Rescue Helicopter 116.
It follows strong condemnation from the Irish Air Line Pilots' Association, who said the decision was 'unnecessary and harmful'.
Last week, the final conversations of those on board Rescue helicopter 116 before it crashed off the Mayo coast were widely published in the media.
The Irish Air Line Pilots' Association said there was no justification for publishing the black box recordings of the last two minutes of the flight, "other than feeding a thirst for sensationalism".
The pilots' group also said it was a breach of regulations and counter-productive to flight safety.
However the Air Accident Investigation Unit said the move was deemed relevant in giving the families and the aviation community a better understanding of the sequence of events on the day of the tragic accident.
All four crew members died after the aircraft crashed on Blackrock Island on March 14.
