Congressman Issues Statement On Alaska Airlines In-Air Boeing Incident

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier issued the following statement Tuesday on the Alaska Airlines flight 1282 incident that occurred when a panel on one of its planes bound for Southern California blew off, forcing an emergency landing.

“A safety incident of this magnitude in our aviation system is unacceptable. I am grateful there were no serious injuries aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 and appreciate the important investigative work underway by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to determine what caused the incident that endangered almost 200 passengers and the flight crew,” the Congressman said.

"I have been a longtime advocate for airlines to be more proactive in preventing incidents by improving data collection, and my Safe Landings Act would address several aviation safety issues also at play here, including increasing transparency of maintenance repair work and ensuring air carriers share all information with investigators in the event of incidents like this. I proudly supported the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, which would require that cockpit voice recorders store 25 hours' worth of audio data—data that would have been invaluable in investigating this serious incident.

"Unfortunately, this legislation is being held up in the Senate. I urge my Senate colleagues to recognize the dire need to pass this bill and act with urgency, and in the meantime, as a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation, I will continue to push for needed reforms so all passengers are safe when flying."

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Safer Landings

In December, DeSaulnier updated the Safe Landings Act based on new information and industry needs. He first introduced the legislation in 2019 after he spent two years researching aviation and near-miss incidents — inspired by a near-miss on July 7, 2017, at San Francisco International Airport when an arriving Air Canada flight came dangerously close to landing on a taxiway occupied by four aircraft loaded with more than 1,000 passengers.

In consultation with experts in the field, including Captain "Sully" Sullenberger, pilot unions, air traffic controllers, mechanics, ground safety crews, and federal agencies (NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA) he developed this legislation to ensure that fatal or near-miss incidents—like what occurred at SFO—would be prevented in the future.

By creating a new federal task force to research and identify safety risks, expanding training, and addressing new technology needs, this bill would help reduce human error in aviation and save lives, DeSaulnier said.

In addition to this legislation, the FAA announced in September that it is promoting the use of cockpit-alerting technologies, which is a positive step in the direction toward DeSaulnier’s provision mandating this technology and the National Transportation Safety Board’s recommendations following the 2017 incident.

Specifically, the Safe Landings Act would:

• Require the FAA to implement systems that would alert both pilots and air traffic controllers if a plane is not properly aligned to land on a runway;
• Require FAA to gather data and issue guidance on the most effective techniques for pilots to electronically verify they are landing on the correct runway;
• Require the "notices to air mission" (NOTAM) system to be evaluated for improvements;
• Direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study on the concerns some pilots have with cockpit voice recorders (CVRs)—like inappropriate foreign government use—and provide recommendations to improve CVRs while also protecting pilots;
• Create a Task Force on Human Factors in Aviation Safety to review and provide recommendations on crew responses to abnormal events, pilot performance during unexpected events, current flight crew rest and fatigue standards, and other safety-related issues;
• Require that international rules, regulations, or standards regarding flight crew and maintenance personnel rest and fatigue be studied to ensure worker safety;
• Direct the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General to audit current FAA standards and programs for whistleblowers to strengthen protections for aviation workers;
• Require a report that studies the role of human factors in high-risk professions, including the aviation industry, and recommend best practices to reduce the risk;
• Require updating of guidelines for air carrier maintenance programs to improve transparency;
• Ensure that safety data that is voluntarily provided to the Aviation Safety Action Program is protected;
• Require a review of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s best available technologies and standards and a timeline for adoption in the U.S.;
• Require a minimum of two pilots in all part 121 air carriers providing transportation to passengers and cargo;
• Require knowledge of safety experts on any FAA advisory committee that provides recommendations on topics that impact aviation safety; and
• Require the FAA Administrator to ensure that air carriers are prohibited from hiding information that is important for any investigations of aircraft incidents.

The legislation is endorsed by the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA) and original cosponsors of the bill include U.S. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton of Alabama and U.S. Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada.

DeSaulnier is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives with constituents in the cities of Alamo, Antioch (partially), Brentwood, Byron, Clayton, Concord, Danville, Dublin, Lafayette, Martinez (partially), Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pacheco, Pleasant Hill, San Ramon and Walnut Creek.