Use and preservation of flight recorders and records
21.—(1)  For every flight mentioned in regulation 3(1)(a) or (b) where the aircraft is required to carry a flight recorder, the pilot‑in‑command must ensure that —
(a)each installed flight recorder is operated from the time any engine is first started for the purpose of taking off until the termination of the flight when the aircraft is no longer capable of moving under its own power;
(b)depending on the availability of electrical power, each installed airborne image recorder or airborne image recording system, or cockpit voice recorder or cockpit audio recording system, is operated from a time as early as possible during the cockpit check before any engine is first started at the beginning of the flight until the cockpit checks immediately after engine shutdown at the end of the flight; and
(c)each installed flight recorder is not to be switched off at any time during the flight.
(2)  Where a Singapore registered aircraft, or any aircraft operated by a Singapore operator, is to be flown for more than one flight in a day, the pilot‑in‑command of the aircraft must, before the first flight of the day, monitor the built‑in test for the flight recorders (including any associated flight data acquisition unit when installed) by manual or automatic checks.
(3)  The operator of a flight mentioned in regulation 3(1)(a) or (b) must retain, for a period in accordance with the Sixth Schedule, a record of the flight data (including a means of identifying the flight to which the record relates) of at least one representative flight —
(a)that was made in the 12 months immediately preceding the flight; and
(b)that includes a take-off, climb, cruise, descent, approach to landing and landing.
(4)  In the event of an accident or serious incident involving a relevant aircraft —
(a)the pilot-in-command must ensure that all installed flight recorders are de-activated upon completion of the flight to preserve flight recorder records; and
(b)the operator must retain the flight recorder records, and the associated flight recorders where possible, in safe custody for a period of 90 days (or such longer period as determined by the Director‑General of Civil Aviation) after the accident or serious incident.
(5)  The operator of a flight mentioned in regulation 3(1)(a) or (b) must ensure that the documentation, concerning flight data recorder and airborne data recording system parameters, that is provided to an accident investigating authority is in electronic format and in line with industry specifications.