Full FAA Chronology at this link.
19471014: Maj. Charles E. Yeager, USAF, piloting the Bell X-l rocket-propelled research aircraft at Muroc, Calif., became the first pilot to exceed the speed of sound in level flight.
19681014: A new Part 123 of the Federal Aviation Regulations went into effect, upgrading safety requirements for air travel clubs using large aircraft (over 12,500 pounds). This new part was intended to raise the clubs’ maintenance and operating standards to the safety level of airlines and commercial operators certificated under Part 121 (see December 31, 1964), but without imposing onerous or inappropriate requirements. The affected clubs were required to cease operations after December 1 unless they applied for a certificate under the new Part 123. Those that applied were permitted to operate without such a certificate until February 1, 1969.
19701014: Congress approved legislation implementing the Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft–the so-called Tokyo Convention. This legislation accomplished three objectives: it closed certain minor gaps in U.S. criminal jurisdiction over acts committed on aircraft of U.S. registry; it clarified the existing “air commerce” jurisdiction, which otherwise could have created serious constitutional and international problems; and it brought U.S. military aircraft under the “special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.” (See December 4, 1969.)
19711014: FAA completed lowering the base of area positive control from 24,000 to 18,000 feet over the entire contiguous 48 States with the lowering of the base over the southeastern United States. The base had previously been lowered over the northeastern and north central United States on November 9, 1967; the northwestern and northern tier states on May 27, 1971; the west central states on July 22, 1971; and the central and southwestern states on August 19, 1971.
The action meant that all aircraft flying between 18,000 and 60,000 feet over the contiguous United States would receive separation services under direct FAA air traffic control. The agency had considered the measure for a number of years, since the increasing closure speeds of aircraft reduced the time available for pilots operating under Visual Flight Rules to detect potential collisions and take evasive action. (See November 9, 1967.)
19921014: An FAA-chartered task force released its report on a Global Navigation Satellite System using the Global Positioning Systen (GPS). The report concluded that the system offered the greatest opportunity to enhance aviation efficiency and safety since the introduction of radio communications and navigation. To help begin the implementation process, FAA on December 10 released a technical standard order prescribing standards for airborne supplemental navigation equipment using GPS. (See April 1, 1991, and December 17, 1993.)
19941014: Following a joint evaluation of the Russian air transportation system, a U.S.-Russian team recommended immediate steps to shore up safety oversight. FAA worked with Russian authorities to assist implementation of these recommendations, and continued to participate in efforts to improve communications and routes for international flights in the area of Russia. On June 30, 1995, Vice President Gore and Russian Prime Minister Chernomyrdin signed a memorandum of understanding on strengthening technical cooperation toward a bilateral airworthiness agreement.
19971014: John Denver, a licensed pilot who had a home near Monterey, California, was killed when his fiberglass plane crashed about 100 yards offshore shortly after having taken off at Monterey Airport.
19981014: FAA announced that within six months it would develop a new test specification for aircraft insulation that would contribute to increased fire safety. When available for use, this new test standard would be required for use in the manufacture of all applicable aircraft. The Civil Aviation Administration of China in 1996 strongly recommended new tests after a Chinese Eastern MD-11 fire in Beijing in 1995. (See August 11, 1999.)
20141014: A new FAA rule went into effect permitting informal conferences to occur before the agency took certain actions against certificate holders and/or other parties. The informal conference covered orders issued by the agency that did not involve certificate suspensions/revocations or civil penalties, since the option was already available to such actions. The rule applied to orders of compliance, cease and desist orders, and orders of denial, among others. FAA regulations had already permitted affected parties to request a hearing or to reply in writing to an order. This rule added the informal conference as a third option that could open the possibility of a resolution of an issue or a narrowing of the issue. This could save money and time for both FAA and affected parties. (See June 26, 2015.)
20151014: The Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance that made violations of drone regulations a misdemeanor that “could be punished with up to $1,000 in fines and six months in jail.” Previously, violations resulted in a fine and confiscation of the drone. (See August 4, 2015; October 19, 2015.)
20161014: The Department of Transportation, with FAA and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, announced an emergency order banning all Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphone devices from air transportation in the United States. Individuals who owned or possessed a Samsung Galaxy Note7 device could not transport the device on their person, in carry-on baggage, or in checked baggage on flights to, from, or within the United States. This prohibition became effective on October 15, 2016. (See September 8, 2016; January 10, 2017.)
20211014: Italian airline Alitalia made its final flight. The seventy-five year old airline had entered bankruptcy protection in 2007. A new airline, Italia Trasporto Aero, owned by the Italian government, took over some of the airline’s fifty-two aircraft, most of its airport slots, and about a quarter of its employees.
20211014: FAA released recommendations on how to increase aviation safety in Alaska after a yearlong, sweeping examination of safety issues specific to the challenges of flying in Alaska, where more than 80 percent of its communities are accessible only by air. The report included five primary recommendations
* Install Automated Weather Observing Systems (AWOS) at airports that don’t have them and where the systems would have the biggest safety benefit, and continue testing a new technology called Visual Weather Observation System (VWOS)
* Develop a comprehensive Alaska airspace navigation strategy, including creating lower-altitude flight routes and improving GPS backup systems
* Continue a collaborative working group initiative in partnership with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association that’s verifying and adding mountain pass information on aeronautical charts, and continue to hold FAA bi-annual charting meetings, allocating time for Alaska-specific discussions
* Continue efforts to expand ADS-B services to areas that don’t have it, and continue outreach efforts to encourage operators to equip their aircraft with ADS-B
* Continue existing safety outreach programs and look for new opportunities where different FAA divisions could work together to address safety issues from multiple perspectives
The FAA planned to develop a draft roadmap by mid-February 2022, identify the resources necessary to implement it, and then seek aviation stakeholder feedback on the roadmap through May 2022. The agency said it would continue initiatives already underway and would begin to incorporate aspects of the new initiatives by summer 2022. It hoped to issue a progress report to stakeholders by September 30, 2022. In October 2020, the FAA Administrator launched the FAA Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative to discuss recommendations the National Transportation Safety Board made about Alaska charter and commuter operations. The agency 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.
20211014: The U.S. Department of Justice announced a U.S. federal grand jury indicted former Boeing 737 MAX chief technical pilot Mark Forkner, alleging he intentionally withheld crucial information about flight control software changes from FAA officials during the model’s certification, helping set the stage for two fatal accidents linked to the software. The indictment charged Forkner with two counts of fraud involving aircraft parts in interstate commerce, for knowingly sending false information—737 MAX training documents—to American Airlines and Southwest Airlines in 2017, and four counts of wire fraud linked to electronic invoices Boeing sent the airlines as part of their orders. (See May 27, 2021.)
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This Day in FAA History: October 14th
