FAA SAFETY BRIEF MAGAZINE

The September/October 2022 issue of FAA Safety Briefing focuses on the FAA’s Flight Program Operations team and the critical role they play in assuring safety in the National Airspace System. Feature articles cover the team’s various missions and how to operate safely when you hear the “Flight Check” call sign on the radio. We also look at the various partnerships Flight Program Operations has with other agencies, provide a behind-the-scenes peek at the fleet, and make a pitch for potential career opportunities with this dynamic group of aviation professionals.

SEP 12, 2022:  Chair Jennifer Homendy and Federal Aviation Administration Acting Administrator Billy Nolen signed an agreement on Friday clarifying the roles of their respective agencies and how the NTSB and FAA will work together to investigate commercial space mishaps.

For over three decades, the NTSB has led and supported major commercial space mishap investigations that have made human spaceflight safer. According to Chair Homendy, “This agreement is proof that the federal government can keep pace with the exciting advances taking place in the private sector while also prioritizing safety as we enter a new space age."

What You Should Know

The NTSB will be the lead investigative agency for commercial space launch or reentry mishaps that result in: 

• A fatality or serious injury to any person, regardless of whether the person was on board the commercial space launch or reentry vehicle, or
• Damage to property not associated with the commercial space launch or reentry activities or the launch site, from debris that could reasonably be expected to cause death or serious injury.

The FAA will be the lead investigative agency for all other commercial space mishaps.

The last agreement between the two agencies was signed 22 years ago, long before commercial human spaceflight was a reality. The new Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) identifies investigative responsibilities, interagency notification procedures and reporting responsibilities of the NTSB and FAA in connection with commercial space mishap investigations. The document also describes how the agencies will coordinate on the exchange of information, data and use of resources or services.

The NTSB is currently reviewing public comments on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued in its November 2021 proposal codifying its investigative procedures for commercial space accidents and incidents.

AOPA's Pilot Information Center staff continues to hear from members who are caught in a bind by the ongoing gap between the supply of authorized FAA staff for processing aircraft registration renewal requests and the demand for those services. As of May 19, the FAA was processing registration applications received in the mail "on approximately December 30," the agency reported online. The processing time has hovered between four and four-and-a-half months for some time, and the longer processing time is the product of several factors.  AOPA Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Murray Huling said recent conversations with FAA leadership have produced some encouraging news, though not the immediate relief AOPA members seek.  "The aircraft registry received approval to increase the number of personnel processing aircraft registrations," Huling said, noting the extra staff will help reduce the processing time required for aircraft registration renewals—but it will take time for the change to become apparent. New personnel must be trained for aircraft registration work. While seemingly simple, aircraft registration has stringent personnel requirements with certain positions requiring authorization to examine legal documents, due to the title and ownership verification responsibilities that the FAA has.  A key difference between aircraft and most other vehicles: An expired registration also invalidates an aircraft's airworthiness certificate, and that could have unwelcome consequences should an insurance claim arise involving an aircraft that the FAA does not deem airworthy.  Huling said aircraft owners can help reduce the FAA’s processing times by paying careful attention to detail. FAA advised that the two most common causes of processing delay result from avoidable oversights:  Aircraft owners move but forget to update their mailing address; a few presume (incorrectly) that the U.S. Postal Service will advise the FAA of the owner's new address. Regulations require aircraft owners to advise the registry directly of any address change within 30 days. Some registration applications are filed without all required documents, which can include submitting documents that are inaccurate, incomplete, or illegible. Such documents cannot be processed, and must be returned to the applicant for correction, and that can significantly delay processing. Online renewal tends to speed the process for all involved and is the preferred option for many aircraft owners, though not available to everyone. An online registration renewal requires waiting for a notice from the FAA that is timed to arrive (barring mail delay) at the registered owner's address six months before the current registration expires. The renewal notice contains an essential security code used to file the application online. Any aircraft owner who does not receive the notice, or misplaces it, must add their paperwork onto the pile of mail-in applications  “Aircraft owners that receive the online renewal option with a code should use this preferred method as soon as that reminder is received and no later than five months before the expiration,” Huling said.  The FAA advised Huling that renewal applicants who have not received their registration within 30 days of expiration should contact the FAA. While telephone was the method suggested for that, Huling said there is also an online form that can be used to get a message through to the branch.  Another important form that is found on the main aircraft registration page allows applicants to check the status of their submitted registration application by N-number.  "I'm glad to hear that they got approval to hire more staff," Huling said. He added that by submitting accurate, legible, and complete applications on time, and also ensuring that the owner's mailing address is up to date in the aircraft registry, aircraft owners can help reduce the FAA’s processing time for everyone.

  Hot spot identification is essential for pilots, particularly during preflight planning and while taxiing on airport surfaces. However, hot spots are currently depicted in a variety of shapes with no particular meaning. Well, that’s about to change! On May 19, hot spots on the FAA’s aeronautical charts and publications will have three shapes with two distinct meanings. Circles and ellipses will depict ground movement surface safety risk areas like taxiway/runway configurations and intersections. A cylinder will be used to highlight runway confusion areas, mitigating wrong surface event risk areas such as offset parallel runways.  A new visual enhancement tool will help pilots with runway confusion at certain airport locations. These new Arrival Alert Notices offer a visual aid to pilots to enhance situational awareness when a Wrong Surface Hot Spot related to Arrivals is identified.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is making it easier to research aviation safety guidance material from the Office of Aviation Safety (AVS).

The Dynamic Regulatory System (DRS) combines more than 65 document types from more than a dozen different repositories into a single searchable application. This comprehensive knowledge center centralizes the FAA’s aviation safety guidance material from the Flight Standards Information System (FSIMS) and the agency’s Regulatory Guidance System (RGL).

Each guidance document includes a link to the Code of Federal Regulations provision on which the document is based. DRS contains more than 2 million regulatory guidance documents, which can be browsed or searched. A search engine allows for basic or advanced searches and different ways to sort and view the results. The system includes pending and current versions of all documents along with their revision history. Information in the DRS is updated every 24 hours

Would Serve As A National, Independent Forum To Facilitate Collaboration And Cooperation Between All Sectors Of Aviation

U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) have introduced S. 3360, a bill to establish the National Center for the Advancement of Aviation.

The National Center for the Advancement of Aviation would serve as a national, independent forum to facilitate collaboration and cooperation between all sectors of aviation and aerospace stakeholders and related partners, with a particular focus on aviation and aerospace workforce development. It would allow these sectors to coordinate, promote, and support the future of aviation and ensure that the United States remains a global aviation and aerospace leader.

“I am proud to introduce this bill to establish the National Center for the Advancement of Aviation with Sen. Duckworth,” Inhofe (pictured)said. “In the more than 100 years since Wilbur and Orville Wright conducted their historic flights at Kitty Hawk, our nation has seen aviation in the United States grow, powered by the individual passions of pilots, aviators and countless others. To continue this legacy, our bipartisan legislation would create an independent, stakeholder-led national center where all aviation and aviation-related stakeholders can work in concert to address the demands and challenges associated with a safe and vibrant national aviation system. As a national forum for cross-disciplinary collaboration, this center would: support aviation and aerospace education and curriculum efforts; leverage industry expertise to develop and deploy the needed workforce of trained and qualified pilots, engineers and maintainers; and serve as a central repository of economic and safety data for all stakeholders. The NCAA will advance a collaborative process to promote aviation in the United States and assist in the development of the next generation of aviation and aerospace workers. I appreciate all the input and support from stakeholders across the aviation community that have made today’s legislation possible.”

“As a pilot, I know that investing in aviation-focused education and workforce development programs helps attract and retain the best talent and keeps our nation at the forefront of global aviation innovation,” said Duckworth. “I’m proud to introduce the National Center for the Advancement of Aviation Act with Sen. Inhofe to support the development of next-generation aviators and foster collaboration in the aviation and aerospace industries to help meet the demands and challenges of tomorrow.”

This legislation is strongly supported by a large cross-section of stakeholders representing hundreds of thousands of individuals, companies, schools and other entities involved in all segments of aviation and aerospace.

NBAA joined with more than 130 aviation trade and advocacy groups, commercial airlines, fractional and charter operators, pilots unions, state and airport representatives and other aviation stakeholders, representing hundreds of thousands of individuals, companies, schools and other entities involved in all segments of aviation and aerospace, in a letter expressing their support for the measure.

“Sens. Inhofe and Duckworth are proven aviation champions, and their support for this important bill underscores their commitment to ensuring the industry’s future is bright,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “We are proud to support this legislation and look forward to doing all we can to ensure its passage.”

By Mike Hodges, Air Safety Investigator, and Clint Crookshanks, Aerospace Engineer (Structures)

When an aircraft crashes, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) air safety investigators and aerospace engineers must determine if the event can be classified as an accident or an incident, as defined by Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 830.