NATA News

The NTSB held a public meeting last week to determine the probable cause of the March 4, 2008 fatal accident, which occurred shortly after the CE-500 departed the Wiley Post Airport in Oklahoma City, OK.  Both pilots and the three passengers onboard were fatally injured.
 
Among the 24 findings adopted during the meeting, the NTSB noted that:

• The charter company operating the CE-500 was not authorized to conduct charter operations in fixed-wing aircraft;
• The pilot was certificated, trained, and qualified to fly the accident airplane in noncommercial operations as a single pilot, but was neither trained nor qualified to fly the airplane under FAR 135;
• The second pilot was not trained, qualified, or current to fly the accident airplane, and neither trained nor qualified to fly the airplane under FAR 135; and,
• The accident airplane was not maintained in accordance with FAR 135 maintenance requirements.

The investigation also revealed that, in response to complaints, the FAA had conducted a Special Emphasis Inspection of the charter company that operated the accident airplane. However, the NTSB noted, “The [FAA] inspection was insufficient to detect the type of noncompliant charter operations that were conducted [by the charter company].”

The NTSB issued 10 safety recommendations to the FAA as a result of its investigation. A list of the recommendations and a summary of the accident report may be viewed by clicking here.

During the investigation of the 2008 accident, it was discovered that the flight was sold to the passengers as a commercial operation, but the aircraft and crew were not legally authorized to conduct commercial flights.

NATA has created two free consumer publications, "Chartering an Aircraft, A Consumer Guide" and "Risk of Illegal Charter," to aid consumers in both choosing a legitimate on-demand air charter operator and avoiding illegal operators.

Both publications are suitable for printing and are available for download at www.nata.aero/store.  Operators are encouraged to distribute these documents as appropriate.

NATA also reminds air charter operators of the Illegal Charter Hotline. Certificated operators may call and make reports regarding illegal activity that will be forwarded to FAA Headquarters staff for review and investigation. 

Any employee or agent of a Part 135 on-demand certificate holder can call a toll-free number, 888-759-3581 or 888-SKY-FLT1, to file a report of suspected illegal commercial flights, where an aircraft operator without an FAA Part 135 certificate is accepting compensation for transportation, in violation of both FAA and Department of Transportation regulations.

The number is available 24 hours a day and operators may leave a message to receive a call back if the Hotline agent is unavailable. Operators are encouraged to compile as much factual data as possible regarding the suspected illegal activity. The more detail and facts or evidence that are supplied, the better the chances are that the FAA can conduct a meaningful review and investigation.

Since beginning operation just one year ago, the hotline has been quite successful. Those filing reports have in some cases noticed a quick response from the FAA. Follow-up contact with several operators who have filed reports indicates formal investigations have occurred or are occurring as a result of hotline reports.

Last week, NATA submitted comments to the FAA on a proposal to require crew resource management training (CRM) for all Part 135 single and dual pilot operations. The proposal follows recommendations made by the NTSB and a Part 135 rulemaking committee.

NATA’s comments generally supported the proposal to incorporate formal CRM training for Part 135 but cautioned the FAA on several areas that could create difficulties for smaller operators. Specifically, the association called on the FAA to provide a standard program for single-pilot operators to adopt and asked the agency to ensure that inspector delays in approving programs or defining CRM training program content were minimized.

View NATA’s comments by clicking here.

Although the official comment period has now closed, the FAA will accept and consider late filed comments whenever possible. Information on submitting comments is available in the FAA’s notice of proposed rulemaking.

To gauge the impact of these variations, NATA has launched a special survey. Obtaining survey responses is of great importance, as the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is now conducting a review of inconsistencies in how field inspectors interpret and apply requirements on regulated entities.

Complete the survey now!

NATA is highly supportive of this review and asked Members of Congress to request the study to address the mounting dilemma member companies face in dealing with the lack of regulatory interpretation standardization between local FAA offices.

All interested aviation businesses that are certificated by the FAA are asked to complete a brief anonymous survey that will allow the association to present summary data related to this important issue.

NATA will compile the survey data received and provide a summary of the results to the GAO. The association is hopeful that the final GAO report will prove the significance of the issue, highlight a need for change within the FAA, and propose solutions that can address the problem.

NATA pledges to keep all information strictly confidential unless the submitter specifically agrees to be contacted and to have their information used in an identifiable way.

Click here to begin the survey.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution by voice vote on July 29, recognizing the general aviation industry and its contributions to the United States. The resolution, H.R. 508, was introduced in June by U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) and highlights the many reasons why general aviation is vital to our nation.

The resolution states that 170,000,000 passengers fly annually using personal aircraft and general aviation contributes $150 billion to the U.S. economy, and employs nearly a million people. In addition, 65% of general aviation flights are conducted for business and public services, many of which are located in small communities without commercial air service. Finally, general aviation saves lives by transporting people, supplies, vital organs and other items for medical purposes. 

To view the entire resolution, please click here.

Please visit the congressional tour information page which includes sample letters and more information by clicking here.

2009 Updated Congressional Schedule: (House and Senate)

August 3-September 4 – August Recess (House)
August 10-September 7 – August Recess (Senate)
October 30 — Target Adjournment

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Kristen Moore at (800) 808-6282 or by email at kmoore@nata.aero.

In Charlotte, the event was hosted by Bob Wilson, owner of Wilson Air Center at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The event provided about 250 attendees with the latest information on the campaign along with a fantastic static display of aircraft including Cirrus, Pilatus, Falcon, Phenom, Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft, and more.

The General Aviation Serves America campaign was created to highlight the importance of the general aviation industry to the U.S. economy.

Watch highlights from the General Aviation Serves America event in Charlotte, N.C.

PLST Online:

• The industry standard for line service specialists
• Consistent, efficient initial and recurrent training
• Self-paced, self-directed and easy to administer
• FAA approved 14 CFR Part 139 Section 321 Fire Training
• Covers 32 comprehensive line topics
• Delivers 9 hours of state-of-the-art curriculum
• Adopted by Air BP, Chevron Global Aviation, Phillips 66 Aviation, Atlantic Aviation, Landmark Aviation, Million Air and 200 more FBO leaders.

To see how PLST Online can work for your operation, click here.

This two-day informative seminar includes presentation from several well known speakers including Conklin & de Decker’s Nel Stubbs and NATA’s Jacqueline Rosser – two industry experts who understand your business and will help you find a direct route to mastering these complicated issues:

Nel Stubbs
Vice President/Owner
Conklin & de Decker

Nel's primary activities are focused on aviation tax issues: federal, state and local. Her expertise includes ownership cost analyses and she is instrumental in developing and supporting seminar services.

Nel is also active in consulting with the IRS, FAA, and numerous companies and attorneys on aviation tax issues. Her office is in Arizona. Nel was formerly the National Business Aviation Association's senior manager for tax issues.

She holds a BA in Mathematics and a Master of Aeronautical Science degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Jacqueline E. Rosser
Director, Regulatory Affairs
National Air Transportation Association

Jacqueline (Jacque) has extensive experience representing the general aviation industry before Congress and the federal agencies. In her current role with the NATA, she serves as the director of regulatory affairs and oversees association activities involving on-demand air charter and fractional ownership program operations. She works directly with officials of the Departments of Transportation and Homeland Security, as well as the FAA, the Transportation Security Administration and other agencies impacting air transportation.

In her role as staff liaison for the NATA Air Charter committee, Jacque works with industry leaders on a regular basis to ensure that their aviation business concerns are addressed and the association is responsive to the industry’s needs. Since joining NATA in 1997, she has been an active participant on several FAA rulemaking projects including committees tackling fractional ownership, air carrier flight, duty and rest regulations, and the Part 135 Aviation Rulemaking Committee. 

Recently, she was also selected to serve as the executive director of the Air Charter Safety Foundation. ACSF was formed in 2007 to enhance the safety and security of air charter and shared aircraft ownership providers.

Jacque is a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and holds degrees in Aviation Management and Aviation Flight.  She is also a commercial pilot and certificated flight instructor.

This seminar is a must-attend for key charter and management company personnel including director of operations, director of maintenance, CFO, CEO, COO and controllers. A discount rate is available to NATA members registering on or before August 15. Click here for more information and to register now.

NATA also offers a free marketing service to all NATA members — the Classified-Member Posts section of www.nata.aero. The classifieds section is designed to allow members to post their own press releases and classified ads. Check boxes in the press release area provide the ability to target specific audiences. The classifieds are divided into three sections: RFPs, jobs and buy/sell, which can be marketed to all members, or to specific member groups.

For more information on the options available, visit the NATA Classifieds-Member Posts page, the Advertising & Sponsorship Opportunities page, view the Aviation Business Journal 2009-2010 Media Planner or contact Linda Pylant.

Question:
Do you agree with the NTSB recommendation to require declaration of the operator to passengers for all commercial flights as a way to combat illegal operations?

Participate in survey.