FAA to overhaul plane safety checks

DeltaFlot · 03-22-2002, 02:55 PM

FAA to overhaul plane safety checks
Study: Industry and agencies should work more closely together
March 22, 2002 Posted: 7:19 AM EST (1219 GMT)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says it has launched an initiative to more closely monitor maintenance and operations of aircraft it certifies as a way to improve safety.

The initiative is a response to a study ordered by aviation regulators after the crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 in January 2000. That study concluded that the FAA, the industry and safety interests should work more closely to share data and boost oversight.

While investigators have not determined what caused the crash in the Pacific off California that killed all 88 aboard the MD-83 aircraft, the probe has focused on a catastrophic mechanical failure as well as maintenance practices at Alaska.

Questions about FAA maintenance oversight have factored prominently in the investigation.

The safety report was critical of regulators, airlines and manufacturers. It faulted the government and the industry for failing to learn enough from airline crashes, and criticized policies it said did not adequately address factors like the role of human error in aviation accidents.

Inter-agency cooperation
The study also noted how different parts of the industry failed to understand each other. For instance, designers or regulators might not completely grasp how planes are used by commercial airlines or how that use affects their performance.

"Certification standards might not reflect the actual operating environment," the study found.

The researchers, who included regulatory, industry and safety experts, said there was no widely accepted process for analyzing maintenance data or identifying problems that might lead to accidents.

"There are constraints present in the aviation industry that have an inhibiting effect on the complete sharing of safety information," the report found.

The FAA has been working to correct this in recent years, and has established a team to analyze the study's findings and make changes.

03-22-2002, 02:55 PM	#1
DeltaFlot The Patriot Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Laurel, MD Age: 36 Posts: 3,228	FAA to overhaul plane safety checks FAA to overhaul plane safety checks Study: Industry and agencies should work more closely together March 22, 2002 Posted: 7:19 AM EST (1219 GMT) WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says it has launched an initiative to more closely monitor maintenance and operations of aircraft it certifies as a way to improve safety. The initiative is a response to a study ordered by aviation regulators after the crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 in January 2000. That study concluded that the FAA, the industry and safety interests should work more closely to share data and boost oversight. While investigators have not determined what caused the crash in the Pacific off California that killed all 88 aboard the MD-83 aircraft, the probe has focused on a catastrophic mechanical failure as well as maintenance practices at Alaska. Questions about FAA maintenance oversight have factored prominently in the investigation. The safety report was critical of regulators, airlines and manufacturers. It faulted the government and the industry for failing to learn enough from airline crashes, and criticized policies it said did not adequately address factors like the role of human error in aviation accidents. Inter-agency cooperation The study also noted how different parts of the industry failed to understand each other. For instance, designers or regulators might not completely grasp how planes are used by commercial airlines or how that use affects their performance. "Certification standards might not reflect the actual operating environment," the study found. The researchers, who included regulatory, industry and safety experts, said there was no widely accepted process for analyzing maintenance data or identifying problems that might lead to accidents. "There are constraints present in the aviation industry that have an inhibiting effect on the complete sharing of safety information," the report found. The FAA has been working to correct this in recent years, and has established a team to analyze the study's findings and make changes. __________________ Febuary 15, 1898 December 7, 1941 June 8, 1967 September 11, 2001 Never Forget, Never Forgive If you kick the Tiger in the arse, you better be able to deal with the Tiger's teeth.

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