NTSB Safety Recommendation A-10-130

The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public
Board meeting on Tuesday, September 14, at 9:30 a.m., in its
Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W.,
Washington, DC.

On August 8, 2009, a Piper PA-32R-300 airplane, N71MC, and a
Eurocopter AS350BA helicopter, N401LH, operated by Liberty
Helicopters, collided over the Hudson River near Hoboken,
New Jersey. All 9 people aboard the two aircraft died in the
accident. The airplane flight was operating under the
provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91,
and the helicopter flight was operating under the provisions
of 14 CFR Parts 135 and 136. No flight plans were filed or
were required for either flight, and visual meteorological
conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

A live and archived webcast of the proceedings will be
available on the Board’s website at
www.ntsb.gov/Events/Boardmeeting.htm. Technical support
details are available under “Board Meetings.” To report any
problems, please call 703-993-3100 and ask for Webcast
Technical Support.

A summary of the Board’s final report, which will include
findings, probable cause and safety recommendations, will
appear on the website shortly after the conclusion of the
meeting. The entire report will appear on the website
several weeks later.

Directions to Board Room: Front door located on Lower 10th
Street, directly below L’Enfant Plaza. From Metro, exit
L’Enfant Plaza station at 9th and D Streets escalator, walk
through shopping mall, at CVS store take escalator down one
level. Board room will be to your left.

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National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
August 6, 2010

NTSB Safety Recommendation A-10-119 and -120
and Reiteration of NTSB Safety Recommendation A-04-63

The National Transportation Safety Board recommends that the European Aviation Safety Agency:

Modify European Aviation Safety Agency Certification Specifications for Large Aeroplanes CS-25 to ensure safe handling qualities in the yaw axis throughout the flight envelope, including limits for rudder pedal sensitivity. (A-10-119)

After the yaw axis certification standard recommended in Safety Recommendation A-10-119 has been established, review the designs of existing airplanes to determine if they meet the standard. For existing airplane designs that do not meet the standard, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) should determine if the airplanes would be adequately protected from the adverse effects of a potential aircraft-pilot coupling (APC) after rudder inputs at all airspeeds. If adequate protection does not exist, EASA should require modifications, as necessary, to provide the airplanes with increased protection from the adverse effects of a potential APC after rudder inputs at high airspeeds. (A-10-
120)

In addition, the National Transportation Safety Board reiterates the following recommendation to the European Aviation Safety Agency:

Review the options for modifying the Airbus A300-600 and the Airbus A310 to provide increased protection from potentially hazardous rudder pedal inputs at high airspeeds and, on the basis of this review, require modifications to the A300-600 and A310 to provide increased protection from potentially hazardous rudder pedal inputs at high airspeeds. (A-04-63

National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 14, 2010
SB-10-37

The National Transportation Safety Board today determined that the probable cause of last year’s midair collision over the Hudson River that resulted in the deaths of all nine persons aboard the two aircraft were the inherent limitations of “see-and-avoid” concept and a Teterboro Airport air traffic controller’s nonpertinent telephone conversation at the time of the collision. The see-and-avoid technique of averting mid-air collisions was not effective because of the difficulty the airplane pilot had in seeing the helicopter until the final seconds before the collision. In addition, the Teterboro Airport local controller engaged in a personal telephone conversation, which distracted him from his air traffic control duties, including the timely transfer of communications for the accident airplane to the Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) tower and correcting the airplane pilot’s incorrect read-back of the EWR tower frequency.

The Safety Board met today in a five-hour public meeting to determine the probable cause of the accident and issued five recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration for improving the safety of the national airspace, and in particular, the airspace over the Hudson River near New York City. The Safety Board noted that contributing to the cause of the accident were the ineffective use by both pilots of their aircrafts’ electronic advisory system to maintain awareness of other air traffic, FAA’s procedures for transfer of communications among air traffic facilities near the Hudson River, and FAA regulations that did not provide for adequate vertical separation of aircraft operating over the Hudson River.

On August 8, 2009, a Piper PA-32R-300 airplane, N71MC, and a Eurocopter AS350BA helicopter, N401LH, operated by Liberty Helicopters, collided over the Hudson River near Hoboken, New Jersey. The airplane flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, with a pilot and two passengers. The helicopter flight, which carried a pilot and five passengers, was conducting an air tour of the area under the provisions of 14 CFR Parts 135 and 136. No flight plans were filed or were required for either flight, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

“This collision could have been prevented,” NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman said. “While traffic alerts go a long way in helping pilots “see and avoid” other aircraft, these technologies are not, in and of themselves, enough to keep us safe. Strong operating procedures, professionalism, and commitment to the task at hand – these are all essential to safety.”

As a result of the accident investigation, the NTSB made recommendations to the FAA regarding changes within the special flight rules area (SFRA) surrounding the Hudson River corridor; vertical separation among aircraft operating in the Hudson River SFRA; see-and-avoid guidance; and helicopter electronic traffic advisory systems.

A synopsis of the Board’s report, including the probable cause, conclusions, and recommendations, is available on the NTSB’s website, at http://ntsb.gov/Publictn/2010/AAR1005.html.

The Board’s full report will be available on the website in several weeks.

NTSB Advisory
National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
February 10, 2011

NTSB SENDING TEAM TO ASSIST IRELAND IN METROLINER INVESTIGATION

The National Transportation Safety Board is sending three investigators to assist the Government of Ireland as it investigates the crash of an airliner this morning.

At about 9:45 a.m. local time today, a Swearingen SA-227 Metroliner (Spanish registration EC-ITP), operated by Flightline/Manx2 Air as flight 7100 from Belfast, Northern Ireland, crashed after attempting a landing at Cork Airport, Cork, Ireland. Twelve people were aboard the aircraft, and there are reports of both fatalities and survivors.

NTSB senior air safety investigator Dan Bower has been designated the U.S. Accredited Representative and is being assisted by an NTSB systems investigator and an NTSB operations investigator. A Federal Aviation Administration investigator is also joining the team.

Information about the progress of the investigation will be released by the Air Accident Investigation Unit of Ireland, +353 (0) 1-604-1293.

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