NTSB Looks Into Public Aircraft Safety
A public forum in Washington DC takes up the subject of government-operated airplanes and who should oversee their safety
They fly more than a million hours a year, yet the more than 2,000 “public aircraft” operated by government agencies — from local police departments to the National Science Foundation — are not subject to FAA regulation. As with any aircraft, they have occasional accidents, like the police helicopter that went down in New Mexico in June 2009 (pictured), killing the pilot and one passenger. The National Transportation Safety Board has investigated 300 such accidents over the last 10 years.
The Board will take up the subject of public aircraft safety at a forum in Washington D.C. on Wednesday and Thursday, which will be webcast for those who can’t attend in person.
Board member Mark Rosekind gives an overview of the subject here: