New safety recommendations for operators of turbojet aircraft

Today, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a set of new safety recommendations of interest to professional pilots flying turbojet aircraft operating under CFR Parts 121, 135, and 91K, that is, all scheduled and charter passenger and freight airlines; on-demand passenger and freight operations; and fractional operations. The new recommendations arose from the findings of the NTSB investigation of a runway overrun accident at Cleveland in February of 2007.

Among the safety recommendations are several that address arrival landing distance assessments and rejected landings. Specifically, the NTSB recommendations address aspects of pilot training for rejected landing procedures for cases in which sufficient visual references are not distinctly visible at or below the decision height or minimum descent altitude. Recommendations regarding carriers' pilot fatigue policies also are included.

Here are the new NTSB recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration:

Require 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121, 135, and Part 91 subpart K operators to include, in their initial, upgrade, transition, and recurrent simulator training for turbojet airplanes, (1) decision-making for rejected landings below 50 feet along with a rapid reduction in visual cues and (2) practice in executing this maneuver. (A-08-16)

Require 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121, 135, and Part 91 subpart K operators to include, in their initial, upgrade, transition, and recurrent simulator training for turbojet airplanes, practice for pilots in accomplishing maximum performance landings on contaminated runways. (A-08-17)

Require 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121, 135, and Part 91 subpart K operators to have a written policy emphasizing that either pilot can make a go-around callout and that the response to the callout is an immediate missed approach. (A-08-18)

In cooperation with pilot unions, the Regional Airline Association, and the Air Transport Association, develop a specific, standardized policy for 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121, 135, and Part 91 subpart K operators that would allow flight crewmembers to decline assignments or remove themselves from duty if they were impaired by a lack of sleep. (A-08-19)

Once the fatigue policy described in Safety Recommendation A-08-19 has been developed, require 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121, 135, and Part 91 subpart K operators to adopt this policy and provide, in writing, details of the policy to their flight crewmembers, including the administrative implications of fatigue calls. (A-08-20)

The following previously issued safety recommendations were reiterated:

Immediately require all 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121, 135, and 91 subpart K operators to conduct arrival landing distance assessments before every landing based on existing performance data, actual conditions, and incorporating a minimum safety margin of 15 percent. (A-07-57) (Urgent)

Require all 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121, 135, and 91 subpart K operators to accomplish arrival landing distance assessments before every landing based on a standardized methodology involving approved performance data, actual arrival conditions, a means of correlating the airplane’s braking ability with runway surface conditions using the most conservative interpretation available, and including a minimum safety margin of 15 percent. (A-07-61)

Two safety recommendations pertaining to airports also were issued.

If you are interested in these topics, it is worth downloading and reading the whole document that contains these new safety recommendations: NTSB Safety Recommendations A-08-16 through -20 (14 page 'pdf' file)