FAA Announces 1-Year Study of Commuter Lines

The Federal Aviation Administration, worried about a rash of commuter airline accidents that claimed 56 lives over a recent five-month period, today announced a yearlong inspection of the commuter industry.

FAA Administrator T. Allan McArtor said the inspection will cover 173 commuter airlines. Agency inspectors are planning to focus on about 20% of those carriers.

McArtor said FAA officials already are reviewing “major problem areas” in the industry, which last year carried 30 million passengers, and plan to begin inspections within 60 days.

Aim at Management

Teams of FAA inspectors will focus on such areas as airline management, training programs, record keeping and aircraft condition.

McArtor said the commuter airlines’ safety record in recent months has sharply reversed from the trends seen in recent years. The FAA cited seven commuter accidents from November through February in which 56 people were killed.

Often Used as Feeders

The worst accident was that of a Ryan Air commuter Nov. 13 near Homer, Alaska, in which 18 people died.

Commuter airlines have played an increasingly important role in the nation’s aviation system because they are often used as feeder airlines for the major jet carriers at large airports around the country. Last year the commuters carried nearly 30 million passengers, according to the Regional Airline Assn., and that number is expected to continue to climb.

“We want a return to the 1986 environment when commuters had the safest year in their history,” McArtor told a news conference. In 1986, commuter airlines had just two fatal accidents in which four people were killed.

FAA officials said they expect the initial inspection phase of the commuters to be completed by the end of September. The agency then will prepare a final report on the findings, which will be used by inspectors responsible for the individual airlines in having corrective action taken.