NTSB Announces Final Rules on Appeals

NTSB Announces Final Rules on Appeals Procedures and Requests Public Comment

WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board today issued a set of new rules addressing the review of aviation enforcement cases. The changes allow appeals to a federal district court, apply federal rules of evidence and civil procedure to NTSB proceedings and allow parties to move to dismiss a complaint if the FAA fails to disclose its enforcement investigative report.

The NTSB, in addition to its accident investigation and safety advocacy work, serves as the “court of appeals” for airmen, mechanics and mariners when they appeal FAA or U.S. Coast Guard certificate actions.

The changes are included in a new final rule and an interim final rule. Although the interim final rule, prompted by the Pilot’s Bill of Rights (P.L. 112-53), is effective immediately, the Board is requesting public comment concerning the changes. The 60-day comment period concludes on Dec. 17. More information on the interim final rule and the comment period can be found at go.usa.gov/YNbm.

While the interim final rule is being issued as a result of the enactment of P.L. 112-53, the NTSB had been examining its rules of practice and other procedures beginning with an ANPRM published in December 2010 and an NPRM published in February 2012. As a result of that process, the NTSB today also announced it would allow parties to file documents electronically. The final rule is effective Nov. 15 and is available at go.usa.gov/YNjY.

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  • NTSB TO OFFER TRAINING ON EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INVOLVED IN MAJOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS

    The National Transportation Safety Board is devoting two days at its Training Center to offer guidance to aviation public affairs professionals on how to most effectively manage emergency communications following a major aircraft accident or incident.

    The training will be offered on October 13-14, 2011, at the NTSB Training Center in Ashburn, Virginia, (near Washington, D.C.) and is aimed at communications professionals working with airports, airlines and corporations with aviation departments.

    Representatives from the NTSB Office of Public Affairs will explain the process by which investigation-related information is verified and released to the news media and the family members of those affected by a major accident.

    Members of the national news media will be there to discuss how previous accidents have been covered and to talk about how social media is changing how breaking news is disseminated and consumed. Airport and airline communications professionals will provide case studies on how communications during previous aircraft incidents and accidents were handled.

    Those interested in learning more should see the complete description of the training, registration information, and cost to attend at: http://go.usa.gov/KGO

    A one-day version of this course is also available outside of Washington for groups of 10 or more. For details, see the course description at: http://go.usa.gov/KGc

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    NTSB Releases Safety Recommendations

    Partial summary of what is included

    • incorporate in Aircraft Flight Manuals a committed-to-stop point in the landing sequence
    • subpart K operators and Part 142 training schools to incorporate the information
    • establish, and ensure that pilots adhere to, standard operating procedures.
    • principal operations inspectors ensure that pilots use the same checklists in operations that they used during training for normal, abnormal, and emergency conditions.
    • require manufacturers to revise existing, checklists to require pilots to clearly call out and respond with the actual flap position
    • revise/describe terms severe thunderstorms, such as “bow echo,” “derecho,” and “mesoscale convective system.”
    • revise regulations and policies to permit appropriate prescription use
    • require fatigue education (training and policy for doctors and pilots)
    • runway excursion prevention development
    • wet runway landing data information provided to pilots
    • pilot in command line checks demonstrating expertise

    Safety Recommendation .pdf

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    NTSB to Hold Forum on Safety Culture


    The National Transportation Safety Board today announced that it will hold a forum addressing the importance of safety culture in transportation on September 10 and 11, 2013, in Washington, D.C.

    “In our accident investigations we’ve seen instances of weak or non-existent safety cultures,” said Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. “In this forum, we want to highlight what’s present in strong safety cultures as well as identify what works to build these cultures in order to more effectively prevent accidents.”

    The forum will review the progress and innovations that have been made in developing safety cultures throughout the transportation community and pinpoint areas where there are opportunities for improvements. Participants — including operators, labor groups and oversight authorities — will outline their roles, responsibilities and methods for developing effective safety cultures, with emphasis on the remaining challenges and steps needed for further improvements.

    The two-day forum, “Safety Culture: Enhancing Transportation Safety,” will be chaired by Hersman; all five Board Members will participate. Panelists include researchers, regulators, and leaders in both transportation and non-transportation industries.

    The forum will address ways of enhancing safety by providing first-hand accounts of efforts from both transportation and non-transportation industries to develop effective safety cultures and to implement specific safety-enhancement techniques. Highlighting progress while recognizing remaining challenges, the invited panelists will discuss advances in safety culture research, and describe the roles, responsibilities, and methods for developing effective safety cultures within their industries.

    The forum panels will include:

    Research Perspectives on Organizational Accidents
    Techniques to Enhance Organizational Safety
    Non-Transportation Perspectives on Safety Culture
    Organizational Leadership Perspectives on Safety Culture
    Safety Culture Management and Oversight in Transportation
    Companies and their Safety Culture Experiences.
    There will also be a review of some recent organizational accidents that have been investigated by the NTSB. Invited panelists will include researchers, regulators, and industry leaders.

    The forum will be held in the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center, located at 429 L’Enfant Plaza E., S.W., Washington, DC. The public can view the forum in person or by live webcast. Webcast archives are generally available by the end of the next day following the forum, and webcasts are archived for a period of 3 months from after the date of the event.

    Organizations and/or individuals can submit input for consideration as part of the forum’s archived materials. Submissions should directly address one or more of the forum’s topic areas (identified by the panel titles) and should be submitted electronically as an attached document to: SafetyCultureForum@ntsb.gov. Input received will be entered into the public docket for this forum.

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    Boeing 787 Smokes Battery in Boston


    On January 7, 2013, a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner Japan-Boston had already landed in Boston, and all 184 passengers had safely disembarked when smoke filled the cabin.

    A fire was found in a battery aboard the plane. Boston Firefighters arrived at 10:40 a.m. and put out the fire.

    Passengers were provided alternative transportation and overnight accommodations.

    Electrical issues in the avionics bay where the battery is located are a known issue in this type of plane, which uses electrical motors instead of hydraulics in certain areas. The auxiliary battery in the compartment kicks in after the engine kicks off. That’s what happened on test flights, and from what I have heard, that is what happened here.

    In George’s Point of View

    Let’s slow down with this great plane. Let’s get the kinks out of it before we put humans on too many of these Dreamliners. Let them stay Dreamliner and not become Nightmareliners. United is starting service but are these planes really ready? There have been engine problems and some spooky events. We don’t read too much about them, but I know they have occurred. I love this plane, I want to fly all over the world in it, and if I live long enough, I will, but, is it ready?

    According to the NTSB report below, the NTSB seems to agree with me that incidents like this warrant investigation.

    Press Release
    WASHINGTON– Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are gathering information regarding reports of smoke aboard a Boeing 787 at Boston’s Logan Airport today.

    The Japan Airlines 787 was on the ground and empty of passengers at the time of the incident.

    The NTSB has dispatched an investigator to Boston. Based on a review of the factual information gathered, the NTSB will determine the extent of its investigation.
    Video Below

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