Summit on Aviation Safety, Spurred by Fourth Crash, Set for Jan. 9-10

The planned U.S. aviation safety summit called for after the fourth major airline crash in recent months will be held in Washington on Jan. 9-10, the Transportation Department announced Friday.

At the same time, the Federal Aviation Administration said it would continue flight restrictions for the time being on ATR commuter aircraft in icy weather. An Oct. 31 crash of an American Eagle ATR-72 in Roselawn, Ind., killed 68 people.

The FAA said it would review a plan by the ATR’s maker to refit the aircraft with larger wing de-icers and decide whether the proposals warranted a modification of the flight curbs.

The Transportation Department said the summit of airline executives, safety chiefs, pilots and manufacturers, as well as FAA inspectors, would focus on ways to improve safety measures and increase public confidence in airlines.