Senate Prods FAA On Duty-Time Rule

Dec 2, 2009

The Senate aviation subcommittee, at its most recent in a series of air safety hearings, yesterday zeroed in on the dangers of fatigued pilots – and prodded FAA to move swiftly on issuing revised flight/duty-time rules.

A proposed rulemaking that would redefine 1960s-era flight/duty-time rules is now to be issued in late January 2010, a delay of about one month. FAA, wanting “to get it right,” required additional time to complete its analyses of complex fatigue issues, Peggy Gilligan, FAA associate administrator for aviation safety, testified.

She noted that FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt is committed to the quick issuance of new regulations. Babbitt convened the “fatigue” Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) on July 7 – and six weeks later, on Sept. 10, the ARC submitted its proposal to FAA for review. The agency’s initial goal was to issue the proposed regulations by yearend and the final rule within one year. The ARC gave FAA the framework, but not all the specifics needed in the rule, noted Gilligan.

Aviation subcommittee Chair Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) emphasized that FAA made two attempts in the 1990s — both aborted —to revamp the rules, and that reducing risks of fatigue has been on the NTSB’s “Most Wanted” List for 19 years. Dorgan told Gilligan he was “out of patience” and “another false start on the part of the FAA” would be unacceptable.

READ MORE:    AviationWeek.com