This Day in FAA History: August 22nd

Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19380822: The Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 became operative (see June 23, 1938). To implement the act, the Bureau of Air Commerce was transferred from the Department of Commerce, and the Bureau of Air Mail from the Interstate Commerce Commission to the Civil Aeronautics Authority.
19850822: One engine of a British Airtours charter 737 exploded on takeoff at Manchester, U.K., engulfing the aircraft in flame and killing 54 of the 137 persons aboard. Both British authorities and FAA ordered inspections of certain Pratt & Whitney JT8D engines used on some 727s, 737s, and DC-9s. On September 6, a Midwest Express DC-9 rolled out of control and crashed after one engine failed on takeoff from Milwaukee. All 31 persons aboard died. The accident’s probable cause, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, was the flight crew’s improper response to the loss of the engine, an older version of the JT8D than that involved at Manchester. Following the accident, FAA broadened its order on engine inspections to include more models of the JT8D, and in December began a special inspection of engine repair facilities (see December 12, 1985). Subsequently, FAA issued further directives on JT8D inspections and parts replacement.
19960822: FAA announced nine proposed Airworthiness Directives on changes to the design of Boeing 737 flight control systems. The proposals stemmed from recommendations of a Critical Design Review prompted by two 737 accidents (see September 8, 1994). Following new information from Boeing that a valve in the 737 rudder power control unit could jam under extreme conditions, FAA on November 11 issued an airworthiness directive requiring repetitive inspections. Continuing attention to the 737 control system issue led in January 1997 to an airworthiness directive on precautionary flight procedures. During the same month, Vice President Gore announced that FAA intended to require retrofit of 737 rudder components.
20130822: Updates to FAA joint order 7210.3X, the agency’s operational guide to air traffic control facility management, took effect. Version three of the guide included a new paragraph requiring facilities to develop procedures to ensure positive control during opposite-direction operations to reduce the likelihood of aircraft being placed in close proximity in a head-on conflict with high closure rates. Another change addressed the complexity of the risk of operations on closed runways. In another update, the well-used radio prefix “Lifeguard” was being replaced by the term “Medevac.”
20130822: Federal and State officials dedicated the new south runway at Port Columbus International Airport. FAA funded 63 percent of the $140 million project.
20130822: Paul Poberezny, founder of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), died at the age of 91. He started EAA as a club for those who built and restored their own aircraft in 1953, and grew the club into an association with more than 180,000 members.
20130822: FAA Administrator Michael Huerta announced the selection of Major General Edward L. Bolton, Jr. USAF (Ret.) as the new assistant administrator for NextGen. Bolton began his Air Force career as an enlisted cost and management analyst. He was commissioned in 1983 after completing an electrical engineering degree via the Airmen Education and Commissioning Program and graduating from Officer Training School. He had over twenty years of executive-level experience in acquisition, program management, systems engineering, requirements development, policy development, strategic planning, financial management and congressional engagement. Prior to joining FAA, he has served as the deputy assistant secretary for budget in the office of the assistant secretary of the Air Force for financial management and comptroller. He began his FAA duties on September 9. (See August 14, 2013; September 13, 2013.)
20130822: FAA, working with the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), issued a final policy for improving workplace safety for aircraft cabin crewmembers. Aircraft cabin safety issues that fell under OSHA standards included information on hazardous chemicals, exposure to blood-borne pathogens, and hearing conservation programs, as well as rules on record-keeping and access to employee exposure and medical records. FAA and OSHA planned to develop procedures to ensure OSHA did not apply any requirements that could adversely affect aviation safety. On August 26, FAA clarified the policy, stating it covered “all aircraft operations that utilize at least one aircraft cabin crewmember” while the aircraft was in operation. Pilots were exempt from the policy. The new policy replaced ones from 1975 and became effective on September 26, 2013. (See November 30, 2012.)
20190822: Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chow announced the appointment of 22 members to the Safety Oversight and Certification Advisory Committee (SOCAC) to advise her on safety issues including aircraft and flight standards, certification processes, safety management systems, risk-based oversight efforts, and the delegation of oversight responsibilities to manufacturers. The committee, chaired by former Alaska Airlines Chairman and CEO William Ayer, included Boeing VP-Safety, Security and Compliance Beth Pasztor, as well as officials from Delta Air Lines, GE Aviation, Gulfstream Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney and United Airlines. Other members included representatives from trade associations and unions such as the National Air Transportation Association, Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, and AFL-CIO.