Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19461023: At the request of the Provisional International Civil Aviation Organization (PICAO), representatives of 60 foreign countries attended demonstrations of U.S. air navigation and air traffic control equipment and techniques at CAA’s Technical Development and Evaluation Center at Indianapolis. These detailed demonstrations helped influence the decision, taken later by the delegates at Montreal, to recommend acceptance of the systems and techniques proposed by the United States as international standards.
19681023: The National Transportation Safety Board announced that aircraft accident investigation reports would be available, upon request, to the public. The Board took this action to make the disclosure of aircraft accident information consistent with the Freedom of Information Act.
19721023: Effective this date, FAA tightened the safety operating standards for large airplanes, and for turbine-powered airplanes with more than one engine, in private carriage. The new requirements included: survival and radio equipment for extended overwater operations; provisions regarding minimum altitudes; passenger briefings; a fuel reserve of 30 minutes for Visual Flight Rules operations; icing equipment; a flight engineer and a second-in-command pilot on certain airplanes; a flight attendant on an airplane with over 19 passengers on board; and an aircraft inspection program. The new rule was part of a series of actions following an accident on October 2, 1970 (see that date and January 3, 1973.)
19861023: FAA announced the purchase of 19 turboprop Beech Super King Air Model 300 aircraft for its flight inspection fleet used to check the accuracy of air navigation and landing aids. Expected to be more fuel efficient and easier to maintain, the new aircraft were to replace a number of Saberliner Model 80s and all five of the agency’s Jet Commander Model 1121 aircraft. Delivery began in April 1988. The purchase was part of a modernization process that was reducing the number and types of aircraft that FAA used for flight inspection and for other purposes. At its peak in FY 1964, the agency’s total fleet had consisted of 116 aircraft of 24 different types. In FY 1987, the fleet would be reduced to 50 aircraft of 16 types. (See July 8, 1973 and October 1, 1991.)
19911023: A ceremony in San Diego marked the start of construction of a new Southern California Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility. Five existing TRACONs in the area were to be consolidated into the new facility, a process completed in September 1995. Meanwhile, FAA planned several similar TRACON consolidations. (See April 19, 1993.)
20011023: The National Transportation Safety Board issued its findings on the crash of an American Airlines MD-82 during landing at Little Rock airport in 1999. The Board determined the probable cause of the accident was the flight crew’s failure to discontinue the approach when severe thunderstorms and their associated hazards to flight operations had moved into the airport area, and the flight crew’s failure to ensure that the spoilers had extended after touchdown. Contributing to the accident was the flight crew’s impaired performance resulting from fatigue and the situational stress associated with the intent to land under the circumstances, continuation of the approach to a landing when the airline company’s maximum crosswind component was exceeded, and use of reverse thrust greater than 1.3 engine pressure ratio after landing. The accident occurred on June 1, 1999, as the flight was arriving from Dallas/Fort Worth with 139 passengers and six crewmembers on board. The aircraft overran the runway, passed through a chain link fence, went down an embankment and collided with a structure supporting the runway lighting system. The captain and 10 passengers were killed; over 100 others were injured. As a result of the investigation, the Board made 22 new recommendations to FAA and two to the National Weather Service. (See June 3, 1999.)
20071023: The White House announced its intention to nominate Robert Sturgell for a five-year term as FAA Administrator. (See September 13, 2007.)
20151023: FAA and the Indonesian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) signed an agreement to promote the development and use of sustainable, alternative aviation fuels as well as additional environmental collaboration between the two nations. The memorandum of understanding built on the Obama Administration’s efforts to protect the environment, reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, and provide the United States and the broader global community with more sustainable energy resources. The agreement also created additional partnership opportunities between the U.S. Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) and Indonesia’s Aviation Biofuels and Renewable Energy Task Force (ABRETF). Both organizations shared similar goals and successes, such as developing alternative fuels that could be used in existing engines. (See December 2, 2014; June 5, 2019.)
20191023: The Department of Transportation Inspector General released a 58 page report saying FAA needed to restore public confidence in the aircraft certification process following the two Boeing 737 MAX crashes. The report said FAA faced a “significant oversight challenge” to ensure the companies conducting delegated certification tasks “maintain high standards and comply with FAA safety regulations.” (See October 11, 2019; October 25, 2019.)
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