Hearing Summary - Aviation Safety: The Hudson River Midair Collision and the Safety of Air Operations in Congested Space
September 15, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a subcommittee hearing today on Aviation Safety: The Hudson River Midair Collision and the Safety of Air Operations in Congested Space.
Witness List:
The Honorable Christopher Hart, Vice Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board
Rick Day, Senior Vice President, Operations, Federal Aviation Administration
The Honorable James Coyne, President, National Air Transportation Association
Edward Kragh, Certified Professional Controller, Newark Tower, NATCA Representative on FAA NY VFR Airspace Task Force
Key Quotations from Today’s Hearing:
“We have a responsibility to look closely at the safety risks across the nation and to respond. These incidents show just how important it is to move forward quickly when it comes to modernizing the air traffic control system. New technology would greatly reduce the risks of operating in a congested environment and enhance the safety of air travel significantly. The entire aviation community, both commercial carriers and general aviation operators must make every effort to achieve the highest level of safety possible.”
Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV
"This hearing will review the midair collision of a plane and helicopter over the Hudson River and more generally, the safety of airspace where there is significant aircraft activity, including on-demand traffic. As many of you know, on August 8, 2009 a helicopter and private airplane collided over the Hudson River killing both pilots, the five passengers on the helicopter, and two passengers aboard the airplane. The tragic accident should cause the FAA to review the safety of what’s known as the Hudson River Class B Exclusion Area as well as the more general safety of on-demand aircraft."
Senator Byron L. Dorgan, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
“Following this tragedy, our first thoughts are with the victims’ families: what began as a day of business and pleasure ended as a day of disaster and mourning. But now our thoughts need to turn to the future—preventing a tragedy like this from happening again. This deadly crash highlights major safety concerns with the largely unregulated and densely congested airspace over the Hudson River. We cannot allow people’s lives—or our economy—to be threatened by gaps in the safety of our aviation system.”
Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security
“Prior to the accident, the FAA had established voluntary procedures for operating within the Hudson River class B exclusion area that were designed to minimize the risk of collision. These procedures are described on the New York VFR Terminal Area Chart and the New York Helicopter Route Chart.”
The Honorable Christopher Hart, Vice Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board
“The effort with New York airspace has wider implications for the national airspace system. As we implement these changes in the New York airspace and have an opportunity to analyze their effectiveness, the FAA intends to examine the other major metropolitan areas and congested corridors for similar airspace and operational risks to see if such procedures would be appropriate elsewhere. We expect this larger effort to carry well into next year.”
Rick Day, Senior Vice President, Operations, Federal Aviation Administration
“NATA appreciates the efforts of both the NTSB and the FAA to produce thoughtful and targeted airspace, ATC and operational reforms to enhance the safety margin for operations within the Hudson River Class B exclusion. Further, we believe that the adoption of new technologies for airspace management will significantly impact safety and efficiency in the national airspace system.”
The Honorable James Coyne, President, National Air Transportation Association
“Class B airspace is designed to protect large passenger aircraft in the areas surrounding major airports by providing positive air traffic control separation. However, many of these areas also have a high volume of VFR traffic. As a result, VFR aircraft would have had to fly all the way around this Class B airspace, as it would be difficult for an air traffic controller to safely handle such a high volume of VFR traffic in addition to the IFR traffic that is their first-duty priority without imposing restrictions on the flow of traffic.”
Edward Kragh, Certified Professional Controller, Newark Tower, NATCA Representative on FAA NY VFR Airspace Task Force
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