WASHINGTON (July 20, 2007) – Following a House Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation hearing on June 6, 2007, Congressman Chandler submitted questions for the record to Mark Rosenker, Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board; Margaret Gilligan, Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety at the Federal Aviation Administration; and Gail Dunham, President of the National Air Disaster Alliance Foundation. The following is a statement from Congressman Chandler in response to the written answers provided by the witnesses.
“The Comair crash last year made it clear that improved safety measures are desperately needed in airports throughout the United States. The people of Kentucky not only deserve an explanation of how this terrible tragedy occurred—they must also be assured that the safety measures that failed on August 27, 2006 are being addressed.
“Last month, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation Subcommittee held a hearing on the NTSB’s most wanted aviation safety improvements. Over the past 11 months, I have made efforts to press the FAA and NTSB regarding the need for a true public hearing on the Comair crash, air traffic controller staffing, and the FAA’s lag in implementing safety improvements, and I will continue to do so until I am assured that these problems are being dealt with effectively. This is why I took full opportunity of the hearing to question the NTSB, the FAA, and the National Air Disaster Alliance.
“While I received responses from both the NTSB and the National Air Disaster Alliance prior to their deadline, the FAA once again failed to follow through on its commitments and had not responded by the deadline. It is inexcusable that, after missing their initial deadline, the FAA responded to my request only after my statement on Thursday commenting on their failure to do so. While I appreciate their eventual compliance to my request, the answers they provided are less than adequate in my judgment.
“I see this delay as a reflection of the FAA’s repeated failure to promptly and adequately address air safety concerns and a great disservice to the families of victims of the Comair crash and to the general public.
“This lag in response also reiterates the importance of further pressuring the FAA to improve aviation safety measures, which is why I introduced the FAA Aviation Safety Research Assessment Act. Recently accepted as an amendment to the larger Federal Aviation Research and Development Reauthorization Act, this legislation calls for an assessment of the FAA’s aviation safety-related research programs—in particular those related to air traffic control and runway safety—to ensure they are operating effectively.
“Although I was satisfied with most of the NTSB’s answers, and particularly with their concerns about the FAA’s slow progress in implementing new safety technologies and procedures and the fact that many of the FAA’s safety advisories are not mandatory, I am greatly disappointed in the NTSB’s lack of concern over air traffic controller staffing issues and their inability to recognize the need for a public hearing on the Comair crash. These are both issues that I feel are critical, especially as they relate to the Lexington tragedy. The response from the National Air Disaster Alliance emphasizes the need for a true public hearing as a service to victims’ family members and to the public.
“I believe that dialogue between the public and the agencies responsible for ensuring our safety is necessary, and will help hold these agencies accountable for actions they take that directly affect the public. The answers I received from the NTSB and the National Air Disaster Alliance are a step in the right direction, but much more needs to be done, and I will continue my involvement in this most important issue until I am confident that public safety is the first concern when it comes to air transportation in the U.S.”
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