NTSB Chair Says Several Recommendations Addressed By The Rule

NTSB Chair Deborah A.P. Hersman (pictured) says the FAA's new pilot training rule addresses many NTSB safety recommendations and when these provisions are implemented, safety will be improved. "We applaud Secretary Foxx, Administrator Huerta and the entire FAA team for finalizing this long-awaited rule which addresses recommendations stemming from accidents dating back more than two decades," she said in a statement.

Among the recommendations addressed in the rule is the oldest open aviation recommendation issued by the NTSB, a 1993 recommendation that asks for simulator training for pilots in using TCAS. Others recommendations addressed by the rule include training in adverse attitudes, which stemmed from an accident in Colorado Springs in 1991 and was reiterated in numerous accident investigations thereafter.

The rule addresses recommendations for remedial training for pilots with performance problems, first issued in 2005 from a cargo aircraft accident in Memphis, and problems with recognizing and recovering from aerodynamic stalls, identified in the Colgan crash and many other accidents. In addition, it also deals with the issue of teaching and practicing pilot monitoring skills, which was addressed in 2007 after a crash in Pueblo, CO, and remains the active subject of recent accident investigations.

"We recognize that this rule is the result of years of effort by many groups: the employees of the FAA, the aviation industry and the families that have worked to see change come from tragic accidents," Hersman said. "We look forward to more closely evaluating the FAA’s proposal and determining whether the specific proposed actions merit closing many open NTSB recommendations. Finally, we look forward to working with the FAA and the aviation community to continue to identify areas where additional measures are needed."

FMI: www.ntsb.gov