Jim Hall Says ATR 42, Q400 Have Inherent Risks In Icing

Even as the National Transportation Safety Board continues its investigation into the downing of Continental Connection Flight 3407 near Buffalo, NY -- and investigators take pains to note it's too soon to draw any conclusions about what caused the fatal crash -- a former head of the NTSB says all twin-engine turboprop airliners should be grounded immediately.

The Toronto Star reports Jim Hall -- who was appointed by then-President Clinton to head up NTSB in 1994, and left in 2001 -- believes turboprop airliners like the ATR 42 and 72, and the Bombardier Q400, may suffer from inherent safety issues in icing conditions due to their relatively slow speeds, and the nature of their deicing systems.

Specifically, Hall (right) notes turboprop regional aircraft fly at slower airspeeds than turbofan-powered aircraft, which may allow more time for ice to accumulate. And Hall doesn't like the pneumatic boots those planes use to shed ice from lifting surfaces.

"I think the prudent thing to do ... is ground the aircraft," he said.

As ANN reported, a Q400 operated by Colgan Air for Continental Airlines crashed into a home in Clarence Center, NY the night of February 12, killing all 49 people onboard the airliner and one of the three people inside the home. Evidence suggests the airliner came down after experiencing an aerodynamic stall at low altitude, possibly tied to significant icing conditions noted by the flight crew during the initial descent.

The Star notes Hall's recommendation would cause "havoc" if implemented, stranding tens of thousands of passengers flying on routes now served by regional turboprops. FAA spokesperson Laura Brown told the paper she sees little chance of that happening.

"We don't have any data right now that would lead us to ground this aircraft," Brown said. "The FAA and the whole aviation industry has worked aggressively over the past 15 years to reduce accidents related to icing and those accidents have dropped significantly as a result of that work.

"The aircraft involved in the crash has a sophisticated ice detection and protection system that benefited from years of research and analysis about how aircraft operate and perform in icy conditions," Brown added.

Robert Deluce is president and CEO of Toronto-based Porter Airlines, which flies Q400s exclusively. Needless to say, he's less that thrilled about Hall's comments, and about the negative attention the Q400 has garnered over the past six days.

"If (the safety board) had any concerns, or if the FAA or Transport Canada or Bombardier had any concerns about the aircraft, of any kind, it would have been grounded by now," Deluce said. "But this does not sound like anything related to the aircraft. This sounds like it is related to some other issues that have yet to come out."

Hall maintains his concern isn't with Bombardier... but with questions regarding certification standards for turboprop aircraft in certain flight conditions. Moreover, Hall notes he has experience with that; namely, the 1994 icing-relation crash of American Eagle Flight 4184 over Roselawn, IN, which investigators attributed to a previously unforeseen problem with the coverage area of that type's wing deicing boots.

"I have a great deal of respect for the Canadian aviation safety system as well as the manufacturer of this particular aircraft," Hall said. "My concern is with the failure in the certification process in the United States in light of accidents involving aircrafts similarly designed, which was the ATR-72."

Bombardier spokesman John Arnone responded to Hall's comments by pointing out that worldwide, Q400s have logged over one million flight hours. "The tragic crash near Buffalo represented the first fatalities in a Q400 aircraft," he said.

As for Hall's recommendation for turboprop airliners to be grounded, Arnone said "frankly it doesn't change our priority as a company right now."

Since leaving the NTSB, Hall founded a consulting firm specializing in "legislative affairs, crisis management, and transportation safety and security," according to his Web site.

Hall is also a partner with the Nolan Law Group, a law firm specializing in aviation-related lawsuits.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov, www.nolan-law.com, www.hallassoc.net