Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC
THE US REGIONAL-airline industry is trying to water down the US Federal Aviation Administration's programme to bring Part 135 regional carriers up to the same safety and training standards as the Part 121 major long-haul US carriers.
The 90-day comment period on the FAA's proposed regulations has closed, and a final rule could come by 31 December, with re-certification of the 95 regional airlines involved to be completed by 31 December, 1996.
The idea is to set one level of safety for all scheduled commercial flights on aircraft with ten or more seats. The proposed rule calls for safety officers, certificated despatchers and standardised de-icing programmes.
The regulations would also require new equipment for aircraft with ten or more seats, such as weather radar, fireproof passenger-seats and floor-level emergency lighting.
Over 1,000 aircraft could be involved in the changes.
The US National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has objected to the emergency-floor-lights requirement, saying that retrofits would be too costly to carry out, and that safety would not be greatly enhanced.
The NATA has also complained about the costs associated with fitting aircraft with fireproof seats and despatch systems.
Raytheon Aircraft says that the rule change might force current Beech 99/1300/1900 operators to switch to smaller, nine-seat, piston-powered aircraft not covered by the proposed rule.
The company has proposed that its Model 99 be exempt from compliance because of its age. It also advocates self-illuminated placards located in the seat tracks, which would identify the direction/location of emergency exits.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) says that the accident rate for ten- to 19-seat regional aircraft cited by the FAA does not support the proposed rule change.
"No data has been presented to show that any actual accident would have been prevented had the proposed rules been in place," says the GAMA.
GAMA warns that the rule change "...may have been developed without regard for cost impact". The Association believes that the FAA should treat older turboprops differently, "...so that these aircraft are not needlessly eliminated from service because they do not have certain unjustified safety equipment items or meet certain unjustified performance requirements".
The US Regional Airline Association (RAA) says that the operating environment of Part 135 and Part 121 airlines differ in many respects.
In those circumstances where there is no apparent safety benefit, but there are high costs, the RAA suggests alternative means of compliance, or having the requirements removed.
The RAA also questions some of the FAA's cost estimates. For example, the FAA says that it will cost $20,000 to install fireproof seats on a 19-seat aircraft. The RAA says that the true cost is at least $50,000.
The trade group recommends extending the seat-replacement deadline to four years, to permit an upgrade during routine seat refurbishment.
The RAA has also questioned the FAA's estimate for new floor lights, saying that it is much too low, and that such lights would not help in evacuation of small aircraft of 19 or fewer seats. The Association says that newly manufactured aircraft should be fitted with the new lights, but retrofit should not be required.
Source: Flight International
