Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19340223: The Lockheed Electra L-10 first flew. On August 10, the Bureau of Air Commerce type-certificated the aircraft, which featured twin fins and rudders. Scheduled airline service with the L-10 began on August 11, 1934.
19560223: The Civil Aeronautics Board, noting the increasing frequency of near-collisions in the air and wishing to gain more information about such incidents, adopted Special Civil Air Regulation No. SR-416, which granted immunity from disciplinary proceedings to pilots reporting near misses. The identity of the pilot or other person making the report would be held in confidence by the Board. In cases where information about a violation of Civil Air Regulations was obtained by other means, however, the fact that the violation was voluntarily reported would not preclude enforcement, disciplinary, or remedial proceedings on the basis of such other information. In an attempt to gather information on near misses, some airlines had previously started their own anonymous reporting programs, but that effort had failed because pilots feared possible Federal disciplinary action. The CAB grant of immunity was intended to overcome this problem. (See July 10, 1959.)
19710223: The Secretary of Transportation established a Transportation Safety Institute (TSI) at FAA’s Aeronautical Center, Oklahoma City. Although initially operated by FAA, this school provided training in the investigation of accidents and incidents in all modes of transportation, and in related regulatory matters. In 1977, TSI became part of the new Research and Special Programs Administration (see September 23, 1977.)
The establishment of TSI followed the dissolution of the National Aircraft Accident Investigation School (NAAIS), which had been originally operated as a joint venture at the FAA Academy (see September 30, 1963) by FAA and the Civil Aeronautics Board. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) assumed CAB’s share of responsibility for the school when NTSB took over CAB’s aircraft accident investigation functions on April 1, 1967. Subsequently, however, FAA decided to include enforcement-oriented training as part of the curriculum at NAAIS. As this added training would not be consistent with NTSB’s mission, FAA and NTSB agreed to dissolve NAIS as of January 31, 1971. (On March 4, NTSB established its own National Aircraft Accident Investigation School at Dulles International Airport.)
19870223: In the wake of a series of fatal accidents, FAA began a 60-day surveillance of civilian air ambulance programs. Agency inspectors investigated equipment, maintenance, training, and pilots’ hours. The program was followed by publication of new safety guidelines for emergency medical service helicopters.
20000223: FAA Administrator Jane Garvey accepted a report from the Fractional Ownership Aviation Rulemaking Committee, chartered in October 1999, outlining their views on the best ways to improve oversight of aircraft owned by multiple entities. (See November 17, 2003.)
20070223: Russ Chew, FAA Air Traffic Organization Chief Operating Officer resigned from the agency. Administrator Marion Blakey assigned COO responsibilities to deputy administrator Robert Sturgell as collateral duties. (See June 10, 2003; October 1, 2007.)
20090223: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport became the first U.S. facility to install and test avian radar. The risk of bird strikes to aircraft was highlighted on January. 15 when Canada geese caused a dual-engine failure on US Airways Flight 1549. The FAA-funded research project at the airport is a collaborative effort with the University of Illinois. Sea-Tac’s experimental avian radar, installed on top of the airport office building, was used to monitor bird movements in the vicinity of the airport. The project was aimed at determining how airport operators could use the technology as an early warning detection system against aircraft-bird collisions. (See January 15, 2009.)
20190223: Effective this date, FAA required drone operators to display their aircraft registration numbers on the outside of the drone.
20190223: An Atlas Air Boeing 767 cargo jet operated on behalf of Amazon Air crashed east of Houston, TX, killing all three people onboard.
20220223: FAA announced a new initiative that outlined how the U.S. could safely eliminate the use of leaded aviation fuel by the end of 2030. The effort was based on four action pillars involving FAA, the Environmental Protection Agency, fuel suppliers, distributors, airports, engine and aircraft manufacturers, research institutions, associations, environmental experts, communities, and other key stakeholders. (See December 9, 2021; April 22, 2022.) The pillars included
• Develop Unleaded Fuels Infrastructure and Assess Commercial Viability
• Support Research & Development and Technology Innovations
• Continue to Evaluate and Authorize Safe Unleaded Fuels
• Establish Any Necessary Policies