NTSB proposes airport safety modifications following fatal accident
May 3, 2011, 12:35 pm
In November 2010, a Minneapolis man and three of his sons were killed when their plane crashed into a Wyoming mountainside. The Associated Press reported that their single-engine plane left the Jackson Hole airport during a snow storm and disappeared from radar an hour later.
In the wake of this tragedy, the National Transportation Safety Board developed safety recommendations in the hopes of preventing similar accidents. They proposed that the Jackson Hole airport should decide the safest routes for flying over the mountains, rather than allowing pilots to determine their own flight paths.
The Jackson Hole airport is surrounded by mountainous terrain that can be tricky to navigate for pilots unfamiliar with the area, so the NTSB also suggested that air-traffic controlling software should be designed to alert controllers when planes are approaching terrain at too low of an altitude.
The NTSB is awaiting a decision by the Federal Aviation Agency, which has no deadline to approve or reject the proposed changes. The head of the Pacific regional office in the NTSB, Michael Huhn, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the FAA generally accepts his agency's recommendations for improvement.
Even with new safety regulations, similar accidents may still occur, which can make investing in pilot life insurance a smart move.
Are you covered? Are you overpaying? Find out! Get a Quote Now!
| 
