For Release: Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Contact: David Gillies: 202-225-5661

AVIATION SUBCOMMITTEE EXAMINES FAA OVERSIGHT OF ON-DEMAND AIRCRAFT

WASHINGTON - The House Aviation Subcommittee held a hearing today to review a report from the Department of Transportation Inspector General (DOT IG), Calvin Scovel, regarding the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) oversight of on-demand aircraft operators. Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Costello (D-IL) asked for the report, and the DOT IG is expected to issue a further report this spring. The Subcommittee also heard testimony from the National Business Aviation Association, the Helicopter Association International and the Air Charter Safety Foundation.

Between 1999 and 2009, there were 155 on-demand aircraft accidents, including 56 in 2008 alone. In addition, the rate of on-demand aircraft accidents from 2000-2008 was 50 times greater than for scheduled air carriers. The vast majority of these accidents occurred in planes with nine or fewer seats.

The DOT IG report points to a variety of factors that may account for this increase, including the difficulty of the on-demand operating environment, weather at lower altitudes, the lack of advanced technology in many smaller aircraft and the age of on-demand aircraft. Stricter safety and maintenance regulations, better crew training and enhanced technology requirements could improve overall safety. Importantly, the report questioned whether the FAA’s on-demand oversight system is sufficiently risk-based, with sufficient reporting of data and enough inspectors, to be optimally effective.

“While our system emphasizes larger commercial air carrier operations, we must ensure that our regulatory system is just as effective for smaller aircraft,” said Costello. “We have looked at this issue as part of the air ambulance industry, and today’s hearing examined it from a broader perspective. While the FAA has made progress towards improving aspects of its safety oversight, I continue to be concerned that greater oversight measures need to be taken by the FAA within the on-demand industry. We will continue to monitor the FAA’s ability to evaluate and implement safety recommendations.”

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