FAA Responses Still ’Unacceptable’ to NTSB

Citing a serious near collision of two widebodies in Chicago last July, the NTSB at a public meeting Tuesday called again for “effective action” by the FAA to counter the danger posed by potentially catastrophic runway collisions. The Board was reviewing its Most Wanted List of safety improvements, a list that calls for federal agencies to take action on the most critical transportation safety issues. The runway incursions issue has been on the list since its inception in 1990 and remains in an “unacceptable” status. Also “unacceptable” to the Board is the FAA’s progress toward reducing icing accidents. “The FAA has not adopted a systematic and proactive approach to the certification and operational issues of airplane icing,” said the NTSB. Finally, the Board reiterated its Most Wanted List recommendation for the FAA to require cockpit resource management training for on-demand air-taxi operators. “Although the FAA has agreed in principle with the recommendation, no discernable progress has been made” and this response is also “unacceptable.”