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.