Story ID: 4120412alerts
Group Tackles FAA Regulatory Interpretation Consistency
By: AIN Staff
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Word Count: 226
A government-industry aviation rulemaking committee (ARC) that addressed inconsistency in regulatory interpretations issued its final report to the FAA on Friday. It concludes that the agency’s Flight Standards Service (AFS) and Aircraft Certification Service (AIR) offices should review all guidance documents and interpretations to identify and cancel outdated material, and cross-reference material to the applicable rule. Further, the ARC suggests that the FAA expand its current aviation safety information management system initiative to consolidate all of the aviation safety organization libraries into a single master electronic resource, organized by rule, to allow users access to relevant rules and all active and superseded guidance material and related documents.

“During the committee’s exhaustive review, it was clear from the beginning that standardization cannot be achieved unless the FAA and industry are singing off the same sheet of music,” said NATA vice president of government and industry affairs Eric Byer, industry chair for the ARC.

The report addresses several other issues that are predicated on the successful development of one master electronic database, including the creation of a regulatory consistency communications board, which would provide clarification to FAA personnel and certificate/approval holders and applicants on questions related to the application of regulations. The ARC’s recommendations now head to the FAA for review and transmission to Congress early next year.