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Aviation authorities defend safety of turboprops
2009-02-15
BUFFALO, N.Y. - A former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board has called for authorities to ground all turboprop planes like the one that crashed last week in icy conditions, at least until the accident investigation is complete. But federal aviation officials insisted Sunday that the planes are just as safe in winter weather as any other aircraft. The 74-seat Q400 Bombardier aircraft "has an excellent record in icing conditions," said Laura Brown, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration. "If we thought that these planes were unsafe, we wouldn't let them operate." Continental Flight 3407 crashed into a home late Thursday, killing all 49 people aboard the plane and one man on the ground. It went down in light snow and mist just six miles from the Buffalo airport. The crew had discussed significant ice buildup on their windshield and wings shortly before the crash, according to the NTSB. The crash has raised questions about the safety of small regional aircraft, which have grown in use since the 2001 terrorist attacks, when airlines found it economical to substitute smaller aircraft for some routes where they previously had used larger planes. Jim Hall, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board from 1994 through 2001, told The Buffalo News that the FAA should "ground all aircraft of this type until the NTSB investigation is completed and it is clear they can be operated safely." Hall questioned the safety of turboprops because they fly at slower speeds than jets, making it easier for ice to accumulate. And he was critical of the air-filled deicing "boots" like those on Flight 3407 that inflate to crack ice off. Hall said that technology was invented in the 1930s and has improved little. He said heated wing systems used in jets are more effective. Hall did not return a telephone message seeking comment left by The Associated Press. Brown said the FAA had no reason so far to act. "I don't think we've seen anything to date that would lead us to make any recommendations about this plane," she said. The flight was operated by Colgan Air of Manassas, Va. A spokesman for Colgan's parent company, Pinnacle Airlines of Memphis, Tenn., did not return a phone message. NTSB board member Steve Chealander said all planes must meet the same federal safety requirements before they are certified to fly. "Are turboprops more unsafe than jets? The answer is no," he said Sunday. "They are all certified by the governing agencies of the country that they're manufactured in. They all play by the same rules." Chealander said the airlines know it's in their best interest to be safe. "They're not going to go out there and operate unsafe," he said. Brown said many airlines have switched from turboprops to regional jets for a variety of reasons, including fuel efficiency and financial considerations. On Sunday, representatives of Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines and FedEx declined to say whether they were considering any changes in the use of turboprops in winter conditions, such as flying different routes or using larger jets that fly at higher altitudes. "We continue to review our procedures to be sure they are as safe as possible," said Maury Lane, a spokesman for Memphis-based FedEx. "It's premature to say if changes might be necessary." ___ Associated Press Writer Richard Pyle in New York contributed to this story.
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