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The NTSB came to the conclusion yesterday that glass cockpits are not safer than conventional steam instruments. The study began more than a year ago to determine whether light fixed-wing aircraft equipped with glass cockpits such as the Garmin G1000 and Avidyne PFD4000 were actually safer, but the results found steam instruments have less of a fatality rate than the flat panel display systems.
The study, which looked at the accident rates of 8,000+ light piston-powered fixed-wing aircraft manufactured between 2002 and 2006, discovered that ones equipped with glass panel cockpits had a higher fatality rate then similar aircraft with conventional steam gauges. These accidents can be caused by any number of things, such as the pilot instilling too much faith in the autopilot system, distraction, or not adequetely trained on the device, etc. If a pilot flies various types of aircraft this can lead to a problem of proficiency with each one, since each may vary greatly.
After several e-mails from readers inquiring about Part 139 airports, I figured it was time to give Airport Chronicles some much needed attention with a new blog.
Under 14 CFR Part 139, the FAA is required to issue airport operating certificates to airports that:
- Serve scheduled and unscheduled air carrier aircraft with more than 30 seats;
- Serve scheduled air carrier operations in aircraft with more than 9 seats but less than 31 seats; and
- The FAA Administrator requires to have a certificate.
The list above is what will require an airport to become Part 139 certified, but any airport that requests certification can obtain an operating certificate if they choose to, however they will subject to the same requirements and annual inspections by the FAA.
Gulfstream International Airlines (GIA) is feeling more heat from the FAA. On three occasions, pilots of the airline allowed a passenger in the cockpit of a Beechcraft 1900, turboprop aircraft, during flight. The first two incidents happened in the same day, with a female friend of the Captain during the summer of 2007. The third incident just so happened to involve the same female passenger, but on a different day, with a different flight crew. To be present in the cockpit of an aircraft during flight, without being authorized through CASS (Cockpit Access Security System) is a major security breach of FAA regulations. One would think that two Captains, even for GIA, would have knowledge of such a stern regulation and the potential repercussion for failing to adhere to it. The company found out about the violation through a complaint by a flight attendant, that was onboard for two of the three flights.
Read how GIA is being subject to a $1.3M dollar fine for crew-scheduling and maintenance violations.
Gulfstream International Airlines, not to be confused with Gulfstream Aerospace, may have to pay as much as $1.3 million in fines. The FAA discovered that the airline has been negligent in keeping track of electronic scheduling, forcing crews to work over their flight time limitations. Secondly, officials have found unapproved air conditioning compressors installed with improperly maintained vent blowers.
Gulfstream International is based in Dania, Florida where they operate 21 Beechcraft 1900’s on routes to as far as Jamestown, NY. They have code shares with Continental, United, and Northwest Express. The company has a bad reputation of hiring pilots with low flight time who are willing to pay the company for flying as a First Officer on their aircraft. In other words the co-pilot is actually a paying customer of the airline.