Is This a Welcome Departure? : FAA, at long last, grounds ice-prone planes after warnings
Over the years, the Federal Aviation Administration has received more than its share of criticism for not moving swiftly enough on airline safety issues. So its recent order grounding certain commuter planes, while inconvenient for many holiday travelers and airlines, is a welcome departure from previous FAA foot-dragging.
On Friday--two months after an American Eagle ATR-72 commuter plane crashed and disintegrated in a cornfield near Roselawn, Ind., killing all 68 passengers aboard--the FAA announced a ban of all European-built ATRs from flying in icy conditions.
When ice accumulation before take off caused Air Florida 737 to plunge into Washington’s Potomac River on a snowy January day in 1982, for example, the FAA failed for more than a decade afterward to institute stringent ground-based de-icing procedures recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board. Meanwhile, as the bureaucracy slept, 23 planes crashed in icing-related incidents and more than 100 people died.
Ice is particularly dangerous because even minute amounts can distort wing shape, reducing an aircraft’s lift. In the past, most commercial airliners have encountered problems with ice during takeoffs. But recent tests on the ATR indicate that ice buildup could send the plane into a roll during flight.
Last month, the NTSB was so concerned about the problem that it issued an emergency advisory strongly recommending that the government prevent the 46-seat ATR-42s and 68-seat ATR-72s from flying in icy weather. Some Chicago-area pilots refused to fly the planes altogether.
Last year, commuter planes carried 51 million passengers, about 12% of the nation’s air travelers. Now commuter airlines such as American Eagle, whose ATR fleet serves major hubs like Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, will have to scramble to find planes. Still, as one Chicago passenger said recently, “So I lose a few hours of sleep; if it saves people’s lives, I’m all for it.” Amen.
