House approves new air safety bill

15-Oct-2009 Measure raises training standards for airline pilots.

The measure passed the House by a vote of 409-11.

"This legislation was developed as a result of the crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407, where 50 people tragically perished outside of Buffalo, New York on February 12, 2009, and subsequent hearings by the Aviation Subcommittee. The accident serves as a reminder that we must maintain constant vigilance over airline safety," said Rep. James L. Oberstar (Minn.), Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

"This bill ensures that pilots flying for regional and mainline air carriers are trained to the highest standards, and requires all airline pilots, including first officers, to hold an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, which requires pilots to have a minimum of 1,500 flight hours. Currently, a first officer on a commercial passenger flight only needs a Commercial Pilot certificate, which requires 250 flight hours, or as few as 190 in some cases. The ATP certificate also requires additional aeronautical knowledge, crew resource management training and greater flight proficiency testing," Oberstar said.

"This bill is an important step towards making the skies safer for passengers who board commuter airlines," said Rep. John A. Mica (Fla.), Ranking Member of the full Committee. "While large passenger aircraft in the United States are experiencing an unprecedented safety record, without a fatality since November 2001, commuter airlines have suffered a number of fatal crashes since January 2003 which have tragically taken 155 lives. Airline passengers need to know they can board any commercial aircraft in America and that the pilots in the cockpit are equally qualified."

"The bill increases commercial pilot training standards, including the number of flight training hours, academic instruction and operational experience in multicrew, high altitude and adverse weather environments. It also requires the FAA to establish a consolidated and secured electronic pilot records database to screen pilot candidates, and requires stricter prescreening standards for airline pilots," Mica said.

"I am pleased that we have gotten this bill to the floor so quickly and look forward to having it signed into law in the near future," said Rep. Jerry F. Costello (Ill.), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation. "At the heart of H.R. 3371 is the need to ensure that our commercial pilots are well-trained and have the necessary experience to handle all situations they may encounter. This is accomplished by not only requiring all first officers to have an Airline Transport Pilot license, but also directing the Federal Aviation Administration to review and redefine what training and requirements are necessary for the ATP - which has not been done since 1969. This is the strongest aviation safety bill considered since the creation of the FAA in 1958."

"Although the U.S. airline industry's safety record is the envy of the world, recent events offer proof that this safety legislation is needed. It has been crafted in an open, bipartisan manner in keeping with my belief that aviation safety is, and always should be, a nonpartisan issue," added Rep. Thomas E. Petri (Wis.), Ranking Member on the Aviation Subcommittee.

In brief, the bill…

Establishes an Air Carrier Safety and Pilot Training Task Force

♦ Establishes a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Task Force that will identify aviation industry best practices regarding pilot training, pilot professional standards, and inter-carrier information sharing, mentoring and other safety-related practices.
♦ The Task Force shall report to Congress every 180 days on air carrier progress implementing best practices, and make recommendations for legislative and regulatory action.

Implements National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Recommendations

♦ Requires FAA to ensure that pilots are trained on stall recovery, upset recovery, and that airlines provide remedial training.
♦ Mandates that the FAA convene a multidisciplinary panel on pilot training for stick pusher operations (which pulls an aircraft out of a stall), and to implement the recommendations of the panel.
♦ Requires the Secretary of Transportation to provide an annual report to Congress on how the agency is addressing each open NTSB recommendation pertaining to part 121 (commercial) air carriers.

Establishes New Pilot Training, Screening, Mentoring and Professional Development Standards

♦ Requires airline pilots to hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate (1,500 minimum flight hours required). Under current law, a pilot can serve as first officer on a commercial passenger flight with a Commercial Pilot certificate and as few as 190 flight hours.
♦ Requires the FAA to raise the minimum requirements for the ATP certificate. The pilot must receive training to function effectively in: an air carrier operational environment; adverse weather conditions, including icing; high altitude operations; and a multi-pilot crew. Enables the FAA to consider allowing certain academic training hours that may increase the level of safety above the minimum requirements to be counted towards the 1,500-hour ATP certificate requirement.
♦ Establishes comprehensive pre-employment screening of prospective pilots including an assessment of skills, aptitudes, airmanship and suitability for functioning in the airline's operational environment.
♦ Requires airlines to: establish pilot mentoring programs whereby highly experienced pilots will mentor junior pilots; create Pilot Professional Development Committees; modify training programs to accommodate new-hire pilots with different levels and types of flight experience; and provide leadership and command training to pilots in command (including complying with the "sterile cockpit rule").

Sets New Airline Training Requirements

♦ Studies the best methods and optimal time needed in airline training programs for pilots to master necessary aircraft systems, maneuvers, and procedures; the length of time between training events including recurrent training; and the best methods to reliably evaluate mastery of systems, maneuvers and procedures.
♦ Requires the FAA to convene a multidisciplinary panel on pilot training for weather events including microburst, wind shear and icing conditions.

Establishes a Pilot Records Database

♦ Creates a Pilot Records Database to provide airlines with fast, electronic access to a pilot's comprehensive record.
♦ Information in the database will include: pilot licenses, aircraft ratings, check rides, notices of disapproval, other flight proficiency tests, and State motor vehicle driving records.
♦ FAA will maintain the database and airlines will be able to access the database for hiring purposes only.

Addresses Issues of Fatigue

♦ Directs the FAA to update and implement new pilot flight and duty time rules and fatigue risk management plans within one year to more adequately track scientific research in the field of fatigue.
♦ Requires air carriers, within 90 days, to create fatigue risk management systems approved by FAA to proactively mitigate pilot fatigue.
♦ Studies the impact of pilot commuting on fatigue and provides preliminary results to the FAA to be considered as part of the flight and duty time rulemaking.

Creates Voluntary Safety Programs

♦ Directs the FAA to develop and implement a plan to facilitate the establishment of an Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) and a Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) program by all commercial airlines and their unions.
♦ Requires FAA to report on ASAP, FOQA, Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA), and Advanced Qualification Program (AQP), which will include: an analysis of which airlines are using the programs or if they are using something comparable that achieves similar safety goals; how FAA will expand the use of the programs; and how FAA is using data from the programs as safety analysis and oversight tools for aviation safety inspectors.

Orders a Study of Flight Schools, Flight Education, and Pilot Academic Training

♦ Directs the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study of: pilot academic training requirements; pilot education provided by accredited two- and four-year colleges/universities; foreign academic requirements; FAA's oversight of flight schools; and student loan options available to student pilots.

And Further, the Bill…

♦ Requires the Department of Transportation Inspector General to study and report to Congress on if the number and experience level of safety inspectors assigned to regional airlines is commensurate with that of mainline airlines; and whether the multiple data sources that inspectors utilize for airline oversight can be streamlined into one data source.
♦ Mandates that Internet websites that sell airline tickets disclose to the purchaser on the first page of the website the air carrier that operates each segment of the flight.