DOT IG to Probe Aviation Accidents

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Inspector General's office will look into whether pilot experience and pay correlate to commercial aviation accidents.

In May, the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security requested that the DOT IG Office review examine the Federal Aviation Administration's regulations governing pilot training and fatigue and any relationship between commercial aviation accidents, pilot experience, and pilot compensation.

The office said it also would announce a separate review of pilot training and fatigue.

“Large, commercial air carriers have maintained an unprecedented safety record over the last several years, but regional carriers are still a safety concern as they have been involved in the last six fatal commercial accidents. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) cited pilot performance as a potential contributory factor in four of these, including the Colgan Air crash on February 12, 2009. While the Colgan crash has not called into question the overall safety of air travel, the NTSB hearings on this accident highlighted pilot training, fatigue, qualifications, and compensation as potential safety issues, ” the DOT IG Office stated.