Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19500318: President Truman approved legislation (Public Law 463) authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to acquire, construct, operate, and maintain public airports near national parks and monuments in cooperation with local government agencies and with the assistance of CAA in accordance with the Federal Airport Act (see May 13, 1946).
19850318: FAA began an in-depth inspection of Continental Airlines that lasted through April 26. This was the second special inspection of Continental (see February 6, 1984) since the Air Line Pilots Association began a strike against it. On June 11, 1985, FAA announced that the airline continued to operate in basic accordance with safety regulations. In March 1986, however, Continental paid a $402,000 penalty for violations uncovered by FAA during its 1984 and 1985 inspections.
Meanwhile, the flight attendants and mechanics ended their strike against Continental in April 1985, and a bankruptcy court resolved the pilots strike during that October by ordering a back-to-work plan. On June 30, 1986, the court approved a plan allowing Continental to end its bankruptcy within sixty days. (See September 24, 1983 and December 3, 1990.)
19870318: Donald D. Engen announced his resignation as FAA Administrator, effective in July (the exact date became July 2). On Engen’s departure, the position of Acting Administrator was filled by Robert Whittington, Director of the New England Region. (See July 22, 1987.)
19870318: The first revenue flight of an airplane equipped with an operational TCAS II version of the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System occurred (see June 23, 1981). Two airliners began an in-service evaluation of the system on January 31, 1988, marking the start of FAA’s TCAS II Limited Installation Program. Three airlines participated in the program, which was designed to resolve any outstanding technical and operational questions about the system’s use in regularly scheduled service. (See January 10, 1989.)
20040318: FAA canceled the Next Generation Air/Ground Communications (NEXCOM) rapid prototype development contracts with ITT Industries and Harris Corp. FAA previously canceled a full-scale NEXCOM development contract that had not yet been awarded. FAA said it canceled the contracts because there was disagreement on global standards. FAA and EUROCONTROL agreed in 2003 to study what the next-generation air traffic control voice communication system should be. (See February 5, 2003.)
20080318: FAA directed federal aviation inspectors to reconfirm that commercial carriers operating within the United States had complied with all airworthiness directives (ADs). By March 28, 2008, inspectors had to complete review of ten ADs per fleet. In total, they completed a review of ten percent of the directives applicable to a fleet. (See March 6, 2008; April 2, 2008.)
20200318: After a 5.7-magnitude, early morning tremor centered in north-central Utah, FAA temporarily evacuated the air traffic control tower at Salt Lake City International Airport and halted flights, diverting inbound aircraft to other airports. FAA’s Salt Lake air route traffic control center, which is housed separately from the airport control tower, handled all air traffic in the area until the tower reopened.