NTSB AMENDS ACCIDENT/INCIDENT REPORTING REGULATIONS

January 13, 2010

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published a final rule amending its notification and reporting requirements regarding aircraft accidents or incidents.

Why It’s Important

The final rule affects virtually all civil and public aircraft. The new regulations require operators to report certain incidents and also amend existing regulations to provide clarity and ensure that the appropriate means for notifying the NTSB of a reportable incident is listed correctly.
 
Major Provisions

The final rule requires the operators of any civil aircraft, or any public aircraft not operated by the Armed Forces or an intelligence agency of the United States, or any foreign aircraft to notify the nearest NTSB office immediately when an aircraft accident or any of the serious incidents listed in the final rule occur.

The NTSB final rule amends 49 CFR Part 830 and includes the following specific incidents to be reported immediately by the most expeditious means available.

• Failure of any internal turbine engine component resulting in debris thrown anywhere other than out the exhaust path.
• In-flight fire.
• Aircraft collision in flight.
• Release of all or a portion of a propeller blade from an aircraft, excluding release caused solely by ground contact.
• A complete loss of information, excluding flickering, from more than 50 percent of an aircraft's cockpit displays known as Electronic Flight Instrument System displays, Engine Indication and Crew Alerting system displays, Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor displays, or other displays of this type, which generally include a primary flight display, primary navigation display, and other integrated displays.
• Airborne Collision and Avoidance System resolution advisories issued either when an aircraft is being operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan and compliance with the advisory is necessary to avert a substantial risk of collision between two or more aircraft, or to an aircraft operating in class A airspace.
• Damage to helicopter tail or main rotor blades, including ground damage, that requires major repair or replacement of the blade(s).
• Any event in which an aircraft operated by an air carrier lands or departs on a taxiway, incorrect runway, or other area not designed as a runway, or experiences a runway incursion that requires the operator or the crew of another aircraft or vehicle to take immediate corrective action to avoid a collision.

NATA strongly encourages all aircraft operators to review the final rule and be prepared to comply by the effective date.

Status
The NTSB’s announcement appeared in the Federal Register on January 7, 2010.  The notice is effective March 8, 2010.

Click here to view the NTSB Final Rule.

Staff Contact:    Alison McHugh
Manager, Regulatory Affairs
amchugh@nata.aero

View in PDF format.

For general press inquiries, contact Shannon Chambers at 703-298-1347 or schambers@nata.aero. 

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has been the voice of aviation business for more than 80 years. Representing nearly 3,700 aviation businesses, NATA’s member companies provide a broad range of services to general aviation, the airlines and the military and NATA serves as the public policy group representing the interests of aviation businesses before Congress and the federal agencies.