Saturday, May 1, 2004
Deadly airplane crash persuades congressman to push for study
Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Two congressmen concerned about safety in the fast-growing regional airline industry after a crash last year in Charlotte that resulted in the death of 21 people want a federal study of the issue.
The U.S. General Accounting Office will probably examine the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of regional airlines at the request of U.S. Reps. James Oberstar, D-Minn., and Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.
On Jan. 8, 2003, a commuter plane operated by Air Midwest crashed 37 seconds after takeoff from Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, killing all 21 aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board blamed the accident on sloppy maintenance, poor federal oversight and excessive weight in the back of the plane.
On Aug. 26, 2003, two pilots died when a Colgan Air plane crashed off Cape Cod, Mass., on its first flight after maintenance. Investigators believe faulty maintenance also probably had a role in that crash.
The accident rate for regional airlines is slightly lower than for airlines overall, but regional airlines have a slightly higher fatality rate, according to a letter Oberstar and DeFazio sent to the GAO on Friday.
Regional airlines have improved safety standards in recent years, largely in response to tougher federal regulations that require operators of planes with 10 or more passengers to follow most of the same rules as larger airlines.
Maintenance for major airlines remains superior, aviation experts say.
Smaller airlines tend to have less experienced mechanics and pilots, higher turnover and smaller engineering and quality assurance staffs.
Line mechanics, who repair problems and do routine maintenance checks, earn about 55 percent more at the major carriers than at the regional airlines, according to a recent survey by Aviation Maintenance magazine.
Most of the FAA's maintenance-related enforcements, including fines and reprimands, are directed against midsize and regional airlines. From 2000 to 2002, nonmajor airlines accounted for about 37 percent of flights but 67 percent of FAA maintenance actions, according to a report by the Charlotte Observer.
Regional airlines flew about 98 million passengers in 2002 _ about twice as many as a decade earlier. About one in every six passengers is transported on a regional airline.
Some airline safety experts say they worry the industry's rapid growth will lead to maintenance problems.
In their letter, Oberstar and DeFazio said that while much attention has been placed on security since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, "it is incumbent on us to ensure that appropriate attention and resources are being applied to aviation safety."
Oberstar is the ranking Democrat on the House transportation committee. DeFazio is the ranking Democrat on the House aviation subcommittee.
In a statement issued Friday, the Regional Airline Association said the industry has programs to provide "the highest level of safety for passengers and employees."
"Safety is the most important priority and the cornerstone of every regional airline operation," the statement said.
