Thu, Nov 20, 2003
The NTSB has released
its revised Most Wanted safety recommendations list. The new list
is a result of the overhaul of the Most Wanted program that was
requested by the Board in May.
As a result of the review, the Board decided to consider Most
Wanted issues in separate meetings in order to maximize
effectiveness of the list as a safety tool. The meeting today
considered recommendations to federal agencies including the
Department of Transportation (DOT), DOT modal administrations and
the US Coast Guard. Recommendations to states and industry will be
reviewed in a separate meeting next fall. Additionally, issues were
assigned a red, yellow or green classification to indicate action
and timeliness of progress. Red indicates a classification of
"unacceptable response;" yellow denotes "acceptable response, but
progressing slowly;" and green marks recommendations with an
acceptable response and timely progress.
"The Most Wanted List includes safety issues that we believe
will make the greatest impact on transportation safety," said
Chairman Engleman (below, right), "The Board will use this revised
safety tool to aggressively pursue safety and achieve safety
results."
Under the leadership of the Board, NTSB staff joined with
federal agencies to create teams called SWAT (Safety With A Team)
to address all of the open recommendations.
Under the SWAT approach instrumental members of the Safety Board
and the appropriate federal agency work in cooperation to implement
needed safety improvements. Since March 2003 teams have discussed
implementation or compliance with 94 recommendations, and progress
continues. As a result of the new focus the Board has closed 111
recommendations since April 1, 2003. "Issuing recommendations is
not enough," said Chairman Engleman," "Implementation is the key
and the Board will work with its partners in safety to clear
languishing recommendations."
Current Aviation-Specific "Most Wanted" Items
- Airport Runway
Incursions
-
- Action Needed by The Federal Aviation Administration. Provide
for Safer Control of Aircraft on the Ground.
- Airframe Structural Icing
-
- Action Needed by The Federal Aviation Administration Revise
Icing Criteria and Certification Testing Requirements. Research and
Develop On-Board Aircraft Ice Protection and Detection
Systems.
- Explosive Mixtures in Fuel Tanks on Transport Category
Aircraft
-
- Action Needed by The Federal Aviation Administration. Require
Preclusion of Operation of Transport Category Aircraft with
Explosive Fuel-Air Mixture in Fuel Tanks.
Other Most Wanted Items Involving Aviation
- Child Occupant Protection
-
- Action Needed by the States, the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, the
Automobile Industry, and the Child Restraint Industry. Educate
public about transporting children in back seats; make the back
seat more child friendly; require booster seats; develop funding
for child passenger safety education;require restraints for infants
and small children on airplanes; and require personal flotation
devices for children.
- Human Fatigue in Transportation Operations
-
- Action Needed by the Department of Transportation, the Federal
Aviation Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, the
Federal Railroad Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Research
& Special Programs Administration, the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers, the United Transportation Union, the
Association of American Railroads and the American Public Transit
Association. Study the relationship of fatigue in the
transportationindustry and update applicable
regulations.
- Automatic Information Recording Devices
-
- Action Needed by the Federal Highway Administration, the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal
Aviation Administration, the United States Coast Guard, various
trucking associations, the Teamsters Union, and the American Public
Transit Association Require devices that will automatically record
specified information. (elements from this area also included in
the Commercial Truck and Bus Safety and Highway Vehicle Occupant
Protection areas)
The revised Most Wanted brochure with the new color-coded
timeliness classifications is available on the website's Most
Wanted page.
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