NTSB Says It Is Probing Higher Accident Rate of Regional Airlines

The federal government is already studying why smaller airlines like the American Eagle flight that crashed near Chicago have twice as many accidents as major carriers, and hopes to issue a report soon, a spokeswoman said late Monday.

Charlotte Casey of the National Transportation Safety Board said the panel was nearing completion of the investigation, which was launched in April after two crashes in Columbus, Ohio, and Hibbing, Minn., last winter.

In 1993, federal statistics showed that commuter airlines had 0.509 accidents for every 100,000 departures, compared with the accident rate among major airlines of 0.297.

The NTSB probe has already turned up some disturbing evidence, including comments at a June hearing from a pilots’ union official from American Eagle who said flight schedules were now so demanding that some pilots were falling asleep at the controls.

Michael Santaniello, Allied Pilots Assn. chairman at the commuter affiliate, told the NTSB that pilots were flying fatigued for fear of losing their jobs.

Although commuter carriers use large airplanes that have to be flown under the same rules that apply to the big carriers, about 70% of the nation’s regional airline fleet is composed of smaller planes subject to less stringent rules.

Some observers believe the laxer rules for smaller planes are the reason regional airlines have a higher accident rate. However, American Eagle spokesman Tim Smith told CNN’s “Larry King Live” that his airline voluntarily operates its entire fleet according to the regulations that applied to the larger aircraft.

“We operate the entire American Eagle fleet of 271 aircraft on . . . the same operating and safety standards as any other large jet airline, like American Airlines,” Smith said.