Safety Considerations
In October 2020, the FAA Administrator launched the FAA Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative (FAASI) at a safety summit to discuss recommendations the National Transportation Safety Board made about Alaska charter and commuter operations. FAA Administrator Dickson then directed the formation of a group of FAA experts to focus on safety issues particular to Alaska, which resulted in the safety initiative.
Throughout the spring and summer of 2021, the FAA hosted 12 virtual meetings with aviation stakeholders — including pilots, trade associations, airports and state officials — to get their feedback on current and planned safety efforts in Alaska.
Stakeholders expressed related concerns including the experience level and training of pilots, the ability to accurately assess weather, less than optimal Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) Flight Procedures, and the need to improve and expand charting information. Some Stakeholders expressed concern with the intermittent and inconsistent availability of Pilot Reports (PIREPS) and their accuracy. They suggested the FAA make these valuable real-time weather observations more formal.
The FAA emphasizes safety culture, training, operational planning and management oversight processes as foundational to reducing accident rates in Alaska.
Read more in the FAASI Final Report.