The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has at least begun a comprehensive review of helicopter safety, particularly at some of the nation’s busiest airports. This action follows a very unfortunate midair collision that occurred last January. The tragedy was the collision of a passenger jet and Army helicopter in the vicinity of Washington, D.C. It was the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. since 2001. The FAA’s recent investigation revealed widespread and dangerous safety practices at the Las Vegas airport. This airport sees a majority of the helicopter traffic and commercial traffic of the three airports.
In reaction to these revelations, the FAA put in place new safety measures which have already led to positive effects seen across the nation. Within the first three weeks of the new protocols, collision alerts for planes in the Las Vegas area dropped by 30%. This rapid decline indicates that there were dangerous conditions existing before the FAA acted on them and intervened.
Jeff Guzzetti, a former investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA, commented on the situation, stating that “the fact that collision alerts for planes dropped so quickly indicates a real hazard existed before the FAA looked at this.” His insights illustrate the seriousness of the FAA’s ongoing review, and the serious repercussions helicopter operations can have on public safety.
The FAA’s focus on Las Vegas is only a small piece of the agency’s larger effort to improve air safety around the country. The agency is in the process of forming an Aviation Rulemaking Committee charged with formulating recommendations to enhance the safety of commercial air tours. This decision marks another step in the FAA’s efforts to address safety issues before they become disasters.
Helicopter tours and commercial flights sharing the airspace at Las Vegas airport create challenges, which have caught the attention of aviation experts. Chris Rocheleau, a representative of the FAA, emphasized the need for improved oversight, stating, “We took quick action including exercising positive control over the helicopters and issuing more traffic advisories to pilots.” He acknowledged that while flying remains the safest mode of transportation, continuous improvement is essential. “While flying remains the safest mode of transportation, we must always strive to do better.”
Concerns extend beyond Las Vegas. Safety officials are sounding the alarm on the dangerous proximity of Hollywood Burbank Airport and Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles. The two airports are located under 10 miles from each other. Guzzetti noted, “I think that they will find issues at other airports, but maybe not to the degree that they found with this one.” Through these continuing reassessments, the FAA hopes to find any other similar safety hazards at other sites.
Even with these fixes, some key safety concerns remain, especially related to operational and maintenance practices in helicopter operations. Rocheleau added that making these improvements to tackle these problems are important steps toward creating safer streets in the long-term. He remarked, “It’s tough to characterize how significant the hazard was,” indicating the complexity of assessing risk in aviation.
The FAA’s moves come as a response to a dramatic increase in the number of recent crashes and near-misses. With these incidents, questions have been raised about the safety of air travel. Jim Hall, a former National Transportation Safety Board chairman, pointed out that “unfortunately in aviation, it is accidents that bring the attention of the regulators to their responsibilities.” This statement is an illustration of the unfortunate systemic nature of all aviation regulation and the inability for even a little periodic vigilance, at all.
Aviation lawyer Robert Clifford praised the FAA for taking proactive action to improve safety in helicopter flight. He is convinced that additional regulation and oversight are the keys to safer skies for passengers and pilots alike.
