FAA Bird Strike Database Will Be Available to Public On Friday

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will make its entire Bird Strike database available on a public website this Friday, April 24. Portions of the database have been publicly available since the information was first collected in 1990, but the public will now be able to access all of the database's fields.

The FAA is also withdrawing a proposal to protect the data, after a 30-day comment period closed earlier this week. The FAA has determined that it can release the data without jeopardizing aviation safety.

The FAA has redacted a very small amount of data in the database containing privacy information, such as personal phone numbers.

Over the next four months, the FAA will make significant improvements to the database to improve the search function and make it more user-friendly. In its current format, users will only be able to perform limited searches online, but will be able to download the entire database.

The FAA also plans to work with the aviation community to find ways to improve and strengthen bird strike reporting.

The database can be accessed through http://wildlife -mitigation.tc.faa.gov/public_html/temp.html#access.

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FAA Seeks Penalties Against American Airlines for Deferred Maintenance, Other Violations

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today (August 14, 2008) announced actions totaling $7.1 million in civil penalties against American Airlines for improperly deferring maintenance on safety-related equipment and deficiencies with its drug and alcohol testing programs and exit lighting inspections.

The FAA asserts that in December 2007, American used the wrong provisions of its Minimum Equipment List (MEL) to return two MD-83 aircraft to service after pilots had reported problems, and flew the planes 58 times in violation of FAA regulations. The MEL contains components and systems without which the aircraft may operate safely under specific limitations, as proven by the operator or manufacturer.

On December 11 and 12, American operated the first MD-83 on eight flights in airspace it should have been restricted from after maintenance on part of the autopilot system was improperly deferred. An FAA inspector discovered the improper deferral and informed the airline, however American flew the plane on 10 more revenue flights until the problem was fixed on December 17.

In another incident, the autopilot disconnected during a landing by the same aircraft on December 21. American technicians did not check for the actual problem, and instead deferred maintenance using an inappropriate MEL item. The plane flew another 36 passenger-carrying flights during December 21-31. Airline maintenance later discovered the fault was in a radio altimeter – not the autopilot.

For the violations involving this MD-83, the FAA is proposing a $4.1 million civil penalty.

A different MD-83 experienced an autopilot disconnect on December 27. Although American mechanics correctly diagnosed the problem, they again deferred maintenance under the wrong item of the MEL. As a result, the aircraft operated on four revenue flights without a fully functioning autopilot. The FAA is proposing a $325,000 civil penalty in this instance.

The FAA believes the large total amount of the fine for these violations is appropriate because American Airlines was aware that appropriate repairs were needed, and instead deferred maintenance. In intentionally continuing to fly the aircraft, the carrier did not follow important safety regulations intended to protect passengers and crew.

Also, in May of this year the FAA proposed civil penalties in the amount of $2.7 million in civil penalties against American for alleged past deficiencies in its drug and alcohol testing programs and for allegedly operating aircraft in past years without timely inspections of emergency escape path lighting systems. The amount included $1.7 million civil penalty for the testing program violations and $1 million for the lighting inspection violations.

American Airlines will have the opportunity to respond to the proposed civil penalties.

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NTSB Chairman Commends FAA on Major Advancement in Aviation Safety

National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Mark V. Rosenker today commended the U.S.
Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration for its final rule on fuel tank inerting. This rule is a result of a Safety Board recommendation aimed at eliminating fuel tank explosions in transport category aircraft. This recommendation has been on the Board's Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements since 2002.

"The NTSB congratulates the DOT and the FAA on this important safety achievement," said Chairman Rosenker. "From tragedy we draw knowledge to improve safety and today's
announcement represents a significant step toward avoiding future aviation accidents of this nature."

On July 17, 1996, TWA flight 800, a 747 en route from New York to Paris, exploded shortly after taking off from JFK Airport. 230 people lost their lives. In its final report, the Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the TWA 800 crash was an explosion of the center wing fuel tank, resulting from ignition of the flammable fuel/air mixture in the tank.

The Safety Board called upon the FAA to require design or operational changes that will preclude the operation of large airplanes with explosive fuel-air mixtures in the fuel tank. In particular, the Board recommended that the FAA give significant consideration to the development of airplane design modifications, such as nitrogen-inerting systems, and
to apply such modifications to newly certificated airplanes and, where feasible, to existing airplanes.

The rule issued today by the DOT was in response to the Safety Board's recommendation A-96-174.