The Nation : FAA Mandates Wind Shear Detectors

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to begin equipping all their aircraft with devices that will help pilots detect and escape from deadly wind shears. Powerful shears called microbursts have been called the No. 1 killer of airline passengers and have been responsible for at least five fatal airline crashes and 500 deaths in the last decade, according to aviation safety experts. The FAA regulation was announced by the Transportation Department, which said the devices, to be phased into operation in all aircraft of 30 or more seats over the next four years, will cost $40,000 to $50,000 per airplane. About 3,600 commercial jet transport planes also will be required to have the devices, department officials said.