National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Mark V. Rosenker made clear the agency's concern with aging aircraft during the recent Aging Aircraft Conference. "We have investigated several accidents and incidents that have highlighted the safety implications resulting from aircraft aging and these accidents repeatedly demonstrate the importance of effective airworthiness programs throughout the service life of aircraft," Rosenker said. "With the proper maintenance program, these accidents involving aging aircraft could have been prevented." He went on to say, "The Safety Board feels that the continued commercial operation of these 50 to 60 year old airplanes that were not certified to the standards of today's modern airplanes is not safe — all passengers should have the same level of safety," Rosenker said. He also said the FAA should require records reviews, aging airplane inspections, and supplemental inspections for all airplanes operated under Part's 121, 129 and 135 regardless of the year they were type certificated, the number of passengers they carry or their maximum payload.
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