Friday, September 30, 2011

NTSB ANNOUNCES PUBLIC AIRCRAFT FORUM




National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 30, 2011

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NTSB ANNOUNCES PUBLIC AIRCRAFT FORUM

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The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a two-day
forum on safety issues related to the oversight of public
aircraft operations on November 30 and December 1, 2011, in
Washington, D.C.

The event, entitled "Public Aircraft Oversight Forum:
Ensuring Safety for Critical Missions," will be chaired by
NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman and all five Board
members will participate.

Public aircraft are operated by a federal, state, or local
government for the purpose of fulfilling governmental
functions such as national defense, intelligence missions,
firefighting, search and rescue, law enforcement,
aeronautical research, or biological or resource management.
Government organizations conducting public aircraft
operations supervise their own flight and maintenance
operations without oversight from the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA).

"Our accident investigations have demonstrated the risks of
inadequate safety oversight and identified persistent
confusion as to the role of the FAA when it comes to public
use aircraft," said Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. "During
the forum, we will gather information on the roles and
responsibilities of the entities engaged in public aircraft
operations and hear about methods for ensuring effective
safety oversight."

Recent NTSB investigations of accidents involving public
aircraft include:
*     the August 5, 2008, accident near Weaverville,
California, involving a helicopter operated by the
U.S. Forest Service on a firefighter transport mission
*     the September 27, 2008, accident in District Heights,
Maryland, involving a helicopter operated by the
Maryland State Police as a medical evacuation flight
*     the June 9, 2009, accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico,
involving a helicopter operated by the New Mexico
State Police on a search and rescue mission

Panelists participating in the forum will represent federal,
state, and local government entities, aviation industry
trade associations, and civil operators contracting with
government entities. A detailed agenda and list of
participants will be released closer to the date of the
event.

The forum will be held in the NTSB Board Room and Conference
Center, located at 429 L'Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington,
D.C. The public can view the forum in person or by webcast

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NTSB Media Contact:
Bridget Serchak

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