Safety Recommendations For All Commercial Flights May Be Up For An Overhaul

By Mariko Lamb, Talk Radio News Service

A report revealing the probable cause of an ABX Air Boeing 767-200
Cargo Plane fire in San Francisco last year may lead to new safety
recommendations for all commercial flight operations.

In the final summary report of the technical and procedural
malfunctions, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found
that the fire was initiated by electrical current passing through an
oxygen hose.

Although oxygen hose leakage is not a direct safety hazard, “oxygen
leaks are a safety hazard because of their potential to facilitate
fires,” explained Pocholo Cruz, Maintenance Records Group Chairman
during a board meeting with the NTSB.

NTSB member Debbie Hersman described the findings of improper
maintenance procedures and performance deficiencies of the ABX Boeing
as similar to discrepancies reported by American Airlines in April.

Hersman noted it may be “time to potentially ratchet this
recommendation up, not by a carrier-by-carrier basis, but to ask the
Federal Aviation Administration to assess these systems to see if they
are performing as intended.”

The final NTSB safety recommendation report will be completed in
several weeks and will be available at www.ntsb.gov.

Stricter Airline Prevention Measures To Be Enforced

By Michael Combier-Talk Radio News Service

Pilot training and fatigue caused the crash of the Colgan Flight 4307 in Buffalo, NY, on February 13.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s role in the oversight of commercial air carriers was the subject of a congressional hearing yesterday. The hearing was conducted by the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety and Security.

U.S. Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.), Chair of the Subcommittee, said that the members of the committee have been “stunned by what they have learned and read in the reports” of the crash.

Although the crash is still under investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board has so far found that “some evidence suggested that pilot training and fatigue may have contributed to the crash” of the Dash 8-Q400 Bombardier, said Calvin Scovell III, Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Board said that the pilot did not receive hands-on training on a critical safety system aboard the aircraft.

The Subcommittee has expressed their concerns on whether or not there is a difference on how the FAA deals with regional and national airline carriers.

Recently nominated Administrator of the FAA, Randolph Babbitt, said his agency has required “regional air carriers to operate under the same rules and at the same level of safety as their major airlines counterparts” since the mid-1990s. “All regional and national airlines are complying” with standards set by the FAA, he said.

“While aviation has incorporated many technologies over the years to prevent accidents, human factors remain a source of risk. Improving human performance is a central element to improving safety,” said Babbitt.

Mark V. Rosenker, Chairman of the NTSB, said that his agency currently has 450 on-going recommendations to the FAA. Many of the recommendations are asking the FAA to provide better pilot training programs.

Congestion, a travel bug symptom

A hearing on “The Outlook for Summer Air Travel: Addressing Congestion and Delay” was held before the Aviation Operations, Safety and Security Subcommittee. The hearing focused on problems in the National Airspace System and the steps that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airlines are taking to address the issues.

Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) acknowledged that aviation improvements have been made but are insufficient as evidenced by the high number of flight cancellations and delays. Rockefeller said that America’s ‘antiquated air traffic system’ was the biggest threat and noted that even Mongolia is ahead in terms of air traffic. Rockefeller went on to emphasize that the commercial airline industry was about to collapse and America should invest in the air traffic system.

Hank Krakowski, Chief Operating Officer of the Air Traffic Organization of the FAA, attributed the significant airline challenges to record oil prices, a slow economy and increased competition. Krakowski said that in 2007, the aviation industry experienced the second worst year for delays since 1995.

John M. Meenan, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Air Transport Association (ATA), said that the airline industry was ‘being decimated’ by the current fuel price situation. Meenan noted that the ATA has forecasted losses of approximately $10 billion for U.S. airlines and already announced 30,000 job eliminations. Meenan noted that the ripple effect from possible congestion relief in the New York air traffic area would be significant throughout the country.

Subcommittee of Transportantion, Housing, and Urban Development hearing on the FAA 2009 Budget

At the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development hearing on the Federal Aviation Administration 2009 Budget Request, Congressman Joseph Knollenberg (R-MI) said he couldn’t think of any greater issue than aviation. A safe air system, he said, is essential to the economy. Unfortunately, he said, chances of real reform seem unlikely, and air congestion gets worse ever day. He said he wants to be sure that what is given up to do next generation upgrades is not superseding current issues.

Robert Sturgell, acting FAA Administrator, said he thinks the 2009 funding will cover all “critical” systems. Safety, Sturgell said, is the biggest concern. Two thirds of the budget is appropriated to the “safety mission.” We need to avoid complacency and always strive for better results. Last year, he said, there were only eight runway incursions among over 61 million planes. Everyone has stepped up and has been involved in the positive results.