Ice formation on aircraft can disrupt the smooth flow of air over the wings and prevent the aircraft from taking off or decrease the pilot's ability to maintain control of the aircraft. Takeoff and landing operations can also be risky in winter weather. Despite persistent efforts by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and others to mitigate icing risks, icing remains a serious concern. This report reviewed: (1) the extent to which commercial airplanes have experienced accidents and incidents related to icing; (2) FAA's inspection and enforcement activities related to icing; (3) the efforts of FAA and others to improve safety in winter weather; and (4) the challenges that continue to affect aviation safety in winter weather. Includes recommendations. Tables.
In 2003, Congress established a program to reduce airport ground emissions at airports in areas failing to meet or maintain air quality standards. The FAA administers the Voluntary Airport Low Emissions (VALE) Program and oversees the program's two sources of funding. Participating airports also receive credits for the emission reductions achieved through VALE projects in accordance with the law and guidance. Airports can use these credits to offset emissions resulting from development projects to comply with federal requirements. This report determines: (1) how the VALE program has been implemented, incl. airport participation levels, types of projects, and program expenditures; and (2) the outcomes attributable to the VALE program. Illus.
Government and private-sector interest is growing in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for use in a variety of missions such as U.S. border protection, hurricane research, law enforcement, and real estate photography. However, UAS¿s can fly only after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducts a case-by-case safety analysis. This report had these research questions: (1) What are current and potential uses and benefits of UAS¿s?; (2) What challenges exist in operating UAS¿s safely and routinely in the national airspace system?; and (3) What is the Federal government¿s response to these challenges? Includes recommendations. Illustrations.
Collaboration between the fed. gov¿t. and the aviation industry has led to reductions in aviation emissions (AE), but growing air traffic has partially offset these reductions. Various fed. agencies are working to increase the efficiency, safety, and capacity of the nat. airspace system and at the same time reduce AE, in part, by transforming the current air traffic control system to the Next Generation Air Transp. System (NextGen). This effort involves new technologies and air traffic procedures that can reduce AE and incorporates R&D on emissions-reduction technologies. This testimony addresses: (1) the scope and nature of AE; (2) the status of selected key fed. efforts to reduce AE; and (3) next steps and challenges in reducing AE. Illustrations.
To prepare for forecasted air traffic growth, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in partnership with other federal agencies and the aviation industry, is planning and implementing the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), a new satellite-based air traffic management system that will replace the current radar-based system and is expected to enhance the safety and capacity of the air transport system. This report reviewed FAA's metrics for: (1) tracking the status of NextGen programs and the implementation of NextGen capabilities, the reliability of those metrics, and any limitations or gaps; and (2) measuring the performance and outcomes of NextGen capabilities that are implemented and any limitations. Charts and tables.
The FAA uses the Air Transport. Oversight System (ATOS) to oversee 7 legacyÓ airlines & 9 other airlines. This report refers to airlines that are not in ATOS as non-legacy airlines. Two other processes are used to oversee 99 non-legacy passenger airlines (NLPA), which represent a fast-growing segment of the commercial aviation passenger industry & carried 200 million passengers. in 2004. These establish a set of inspection activities for NLPA, & use principles of system safety to identify additional risk-based inspections for those airlines. This report assesses the processes used by FAA to ensure the safety of NLPA. Reviewed the strengths of FAA's inspection oversight for NLPA & the issues that hinder its effectiveness. Charts & tables.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.