Senator Charles Schumer, of New York, called on the NTSB this week to investigate general aviation safety and “determine whether additional steps are necessary to help ensure safe skies.” Schumer cited crashes last week in New Jersey and Long Island, and said at least 18 other small planes crashed in New York over the last year, including 10 on Long Island alone. “It’s high time for the NTSB to see why these plane crashes are happening at such an alarming rate,” said Schumer. “Safety is our number one priority and an NTSB investigation could reveal new clues that make our skies safer. In addition to its case-by-case investigations, the NTSB should launch a more comprehensive investigation that might connect the dots on a larger trend.”
The NTSB does analyze general aviation issues as part of its most-wanted-list for safety improvements, which has for several years focused on accidents caused by loss of control. “Nearly half of all general aviation accidents are caused by loss of control in flight,” the NTSB said last year. “To prevent unintended departures from flight and better manage stalls, pilots need more training and a better awareness of the technologies that can help prevent these tragedies.” In his letter to NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart, Schumer wrote, “I strongly urge you not just to conduct yet another investigation following the recent crash in Southampton, N.Y., but to also undertake a comprehensive and system-wide review to understand why these accidents are happening and what can be done in order to decrease the occurrences. The number of airplane crashes across the system must be reduced.”
NTSB spokesperson Terry Williams told AVweb on Wednesday that the NTSB will have an update on Senator Schumer’s letter “in the near future.”
