The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada has recommended specially designed restraint systems for infants and young children travelling on commercial aircraft.
The board has requested Transport Canada and the aviation industry to collaborate on developing age and size-appropriate restraint systems.
The recommendation comes after an investigation into Perimeter Aviation Flight 993 crash in Sanikiluaq, Nunavut in December 2012.
TSB said that the aircraft came in too steep and too fast, striking the ground 525ft past the end of the runway following an unsuccessful attempt to reject the landing.
Two crew members and six adult passengers suffered minor to serious injuries, while a lap-held infant was fatally injured.
TSB chair Kathy Fox said: "Every day, families board commercial aircraft with babies and young children, and the majority trust that, if something goes wrong, a parent’s arms can restrain their child safely.
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By GlobalData"In the case of severe turbulence, a sudden deceleration, or a crash such as this one, research has proven that adults are not strong enough to adequately restrain a lap-held infant just by holding on to them."
The board also recommended commercial airlines to keep track of the number of infants and young children in a flight on a regular basis.
"We think infants and children deserve an equivalent level of safety as adults on board aircraft, and that is why we are calling on Transport Canada and the aviation industry to take action," Fox added.
