Aerospace Manufacturing Security Cameras: Video Retention, Investigations & Controlled Technology
Security cameras play a vital role in aerospace manufacturing, monitoring production, protecting valuable equipment, and maintaining visibility across facilities. But when an incident or quality concern arises months after an aircraft leaves the production line, footage from the original build can become crucial evidence.
There is no general federal requirement for aerospace manufacturers to retain CCTV footage for a specific period. However, the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) investigation into the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 door-plug incident demonstrated how a standard 30-day retention period can leave important questions unanswered.
For manufacturers, the challenge is balancing everyday security needs with longer-term investigations, quality records, and controlled technology requirements.
This page explores how to develop a practical retention policy, protect sensitive recordings, and design storage systems that keep important footage available when it's needed.
For a broader overview, visit our Security Camera Video Retention Hub.
What Happened When Investigators Asked for Boeing's Footage?
On January 5, 2024, a door plug separated from an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX during flight. The NTSB investigated how the door plug had been removed and reinstalled during production without its required securing bolts.
Investigators requested security camera footage to help reconstruct the work performed on the aircraft. However, the recordings were no longer available.
In a March 2024 letter to the Senate Commerce Committee, the NTSB Chair explained that investigators had requested the footage but were informed it had been overwritten.
The NTSB's final investigation report, adopted in June 2025, confirmed:
"No Boeing security video recordings of the accident airplane's build process were available. Boeing maintained such recordings for 30 days, and the accident occurred after this period"
The investigation identified deficiencies in Boeing's training, guidance, and oversight of its parts-removal process.
There was no finding that Boeing violated a CCTV retention law, or that the missing footage would have changed the investigation's conclusions.
However, the case study highlights an important consideration for aerospace manufacturers: a routine 30-day overwrite period may be shorter than the time it takes for a production issue to become apparent.
Do Aerospace Manufacturers Have to Keep Security Footage?
No general FAA or federal regulation requires aerospace manufacturers to install security cameras or retain CCTV recordings for a set period.
However, aerospace production approval holders have specific quality-record obligations.
Under 14 CFR § 21.137(k), applicable production quality records must be retained for:
- At least five years for products and articles manufactured under the approval.
- At least 10 years for critical components identified under § 45.15(c).
These are quality-record requirements, not blanket video surveillance mandates. They demonstrate why questions about aircraft manufacturing processes, raw materials, testing, and component integrity may remain relevant long after production.
Footage may also need to be preserved when an investigation or litigation is reasonably anticipated. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(e), the loss of electronically stored information that should have been preserved can lead to court-imposed measures in qualifying circumstances.
Manufacturers should establish procedures to identify relevant recordings and suspend automatic overwrite when preservation obligations arise.
ITAR, EAR and Who Can View Your Footage
Aerospace and defense facilities face another important consideration: video footage may reveal controlled technology.
Under ITAR, 22 CFR § 120.56, visual inspection by a foreign person can constitute a release when it reveals controlled technical data. The Export Administration Regulations, 15 CFR § 734.15, contain a similar concept for controlled technology.
For manufacturers, footage showing sensitive aircraft components, engineering drawings, testing procedures, or production processes may therefore require additional access controls.
Practical considerations include:
- Restricting which employees, contractors, and service professionals can view or export footage.
- Reviewing remote access and cloud storage arrangements.
- Considering where recordings are stored and who can access them.
- Using role-based permissions to limit access to controlled areas.
- Applying privacy masks where suitable to prevent sensitive screens, drawings, or equipment from appearing in recordings.
SCW supports role-based viewing permissions and privacy masks, which can help organizations manage footage access.
However, these features do not independently establish ITAR or EAR compliance. Manufacturers should work with their export compliance professionals to determine appropriate controls.
A Tiered Retention Policy for Aerospace Facilities
Different areas of an aerospace manufacturing facility have different surveillance needs. A tiered approach allows manufacturers to retain footage from critical production areas longer without applying the same storage requirements to every camera.
| Camera group | Purpose | Starting retention |
|---|---|---|
| Final assembly and build stations | Reconstruct production activities | 1 year or more |
| Critical component work areas | Review work involving critical parts | Align with quality-record policy |
| Controlled technology areas | Monitor access and security | 90 days or longer, with restricted viewing |
| Shipping and receiving | Verify parts condition and quantities | 9–12 months |
| Perimeter and parking | General physical security | 30–90 days |
| Footage subject to investigation | Preserve relevant evidence | Until the hold is released and other obligations are satisfied |
NOTE: These are planning examples, not legal requirements. Final retention periods should be established with quality, legal, security, and export compliance teams.
Artificial Intelligence and Aerospace Video Surveillance
Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly relevant to industrial security, offering ways to improve monitoring efficiency and identify events that deserve attention. Depending on the system's capabilities, video analytics can help security teams detect unusual motion, monitor restricted areas, or identify potential safety concerns.
However, AI should support rather than replace established security and quality procedures.
For aerospace facilities, reliability and recording integrity remain the priority. Analytics may help teams track activity, but important production footage still needs to be recorded, retained, and accessible for future investigations.
Manufacturers should evaluate whether AI-enabled features are suitable for their operations and avoid relying solely on automated event detection where continuous recording is needed.
How Much Storage Does Aerospace Video Retention Take?
Extending retention from 30 days to several years can significantly increase storage requirements.
Let's consider an illustrative installation with 20 build-area cameras recording continuously at an average bitrate of 2 Mbps.
| Retention period | Approximate storage |
|---|---|
| 30 days | 13 TB |
| 1 year | 158 TB |
| 5 years | 788 TB |
These figures exclude RAID overhead, spare drives, and backups.
Storage can be estimated using:
GB per camera per day = bitrate (kbps) × 86,400 ÷ 8,000,000
Multiply that figure by the number of cameras and retention days.
A year of build-area footage can be accommodated with appropriately designed storage. Longer periods may require expansion enclosures, dedicated archives, or a combination of both.
Use SCW's Security Camera Storage Calculator to estimate requirements for your facility.
How SCW Builds Long-Term Video Storage for Aerospace
SCW designs aerospace manufacturing security camera systems around the coverage, storage, and access needs of each site.
Available solutions include:
- Imperial 128-channel NVRs for larger installations.
- Mini-SAS expansion enclosures for additional capacity.
- 24TB surveillance-grade drives designed for continuous operation.
- RAID 5/6 configurations for protection against certain drive failures.
- Backup and redundant recording options to improve resilience.
SCW's Quota / Allocate Space functionality can also allocate more recording capacity to build-area cameras than general security cameras.
For controlled areas, role-based permissions and privacy masks can support access management. SCW's commercial-grade products also meet applicable National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requirements.
The focus is on creating a reliable installation that protects recorded footage, supports investigations, and provides the storage capacity manufacturers need.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no universal retention period. General security cameras may retain footage for 30–90 days, while build stations and critical work areas may need longer periods. Retention should reflect investigation risks, operational requirements, and applicable preservation obligations.
No general FAA rule requires aerospace manufacturers to retain CCTV footage. However, 14 CFR § 21.137(k) requires applicable production quality records to be retained for at least five years, or 10 years for specified critical components. This does not automatically include security footage.
According to the NTSB's final report, Boeing retained build-process security recordings for 30 days. By the time the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 accident occurred and investigators requested the footage, those recordings had been overwritten.
Potentially. Footage revealing controlled technical data may create export compliance concerns, particularly when viewed by foreign persons. Role-based permissions and privacy masks can help manage access, but manufacturers should consult their export compliance teams.
Yes, SCW's commercial-grade security camera products comply with applicable NDAA requirements. This is separate from ITAR or EAR compliance, which depends on the controlled technology, access arrangements, and applicable export regulations.
Storage depends on camera count, bitrate, recording settings, and recording duration. For example, 20 cameras recording continuously at 2 Mbps would require approximately 158 TB for one year, before redundancy and backup overhead.
Security cameras help aerospace manufacturers monitor the handling, storage, and movement of raw materials throughout their facilities. They can also provide valuable footage for investigating quality concerns, reviewing maintenance activities, and verifying production processes, including work involving sensitive aircraft components and cockpit systems.
Retaining relevant recordings allows manufacturers to investigate issues that may only become apparent months after production.
Keep Critical Aerospace Footage Available When It Matters
When an investigation begins months after production, the ability to retrieve reliable footage can make a significant difference.
SCW helps aerospace manufacturers design security camera systems around their coverage, access, and long-term retention requirements.
Make sure your build footage is still there when you need it. Request a Free Security Camera Floorplan or contact SCW at 828-483-4237.
Disclaimer: This page provides general information and does not constitute legal or regulatory advice. Consult your legal, quality, and export compliance teams to determine applicable requirements.