Mon, Oct 03, 2011
Two-Day Gathering On Safety Issues Set For Late November
The National Transportation Safety
Board will hold a two-day forum on safety issues related to the
oversight of public aircraft operations on November 30 and December
1, 2011, in Washington, D.C. The event, entitled "Public Aircraft
Oversight Forum: Ensuring Safety for Critical Missions," will be
chaired by NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman and all five Board
members will participate.
Public aircraft are operated by a federal, state, or local
government for the purpose of fulfilling governmental functions
such as national defense, intelligence missions, firefighting,
search and rescue, law enforcement, aeronautical research, or
biological or resource management. Government organizations
conducting public aircraft operations supervise their own flight
and maintenance operations without oversight from the FAA.
"Our accident investigations have demonstrated the risks of
inadequate safety oversight and identified persistent confusion as
to the role of the FAA when it comes to public use aircraft," said
Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. "During the forum, we will gather
information on the roles and responsibilities of the entities
engaged in public aircraft operations and hear about methods for
ensuring effective safety oversight."
Recent NTSB investigations of accidents involving public
aircraft include:
- The August 5, 2008, accident near Weaverville, CA, involving a
helicopter operated by the U.S. Forest Service on a firefighter
transport mission.
- The September 27, 2008, accident in District Heights, MD,
involving a helicopter operated by the Maryland State Police as a
medical evacuation flight.
- The June 9, 2009, accident near Santa Fe, NM, involving a
helicopter operated by the New Mexico State Police on a search and
rescue mission.
Panelists participating in the forum will represent federal,
state, and local government entities, aviation industry trade
associations, and civil operators contracting with government
entities. A detailed agenda and list of participants will be
released closer to the date of the event.
The forum will be held in the NTSB Board Room and Conference
Center in Washington, D.C. The public can view the forum in person
or by webcast.
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