Aviation Safety

To improve aviation safety, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to have in place the initial capabilities of a risk-based approach to safety oversight, known as a safety management system (SMS), by the end of fiscal year 2010. FAA is also implementing new procedures and technologies to enhance the safety, capacity, and efficiency of the national airspace system. Data are central to SMS and FAA’s ability to test the impact of these changes on safety. This book addresses the FAA’s current and planned use of data to oversee safety; the preliminary information on aircraft icing and winter operations; information on modifying the age standard for commercial pilots; potential strategies to address air ambulance safety concerns; and a look at increased efforts to address runway incursions.