(Photo taken by passengers from the August 2021 accident flight. Source: NTSB.)
The NTSB called on the FAA to issue special regulations to air tour operations in Ketchikan, Alaska.
A report issued this week by the NTSB addressed the seven air tour plane crashes in the Ketchikan area that have occurred since 2007. These crashes resulted in 31 fatalities and seriously injured 13 others. The NTSB addressed the need for a stronger approach to reducing risks for passengers and pilots on air tours.
“There have been too many air tour tragedies in Ketchikan, a place with unique — but well understood — safety hazards that endanger the lives of pilots and passengers alike,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said. “Unless the FAA acts swiftly, experience tells us to expect even more heartbreak and preventable loss of life.”
The NTSB wants the FAA to issue special regulations for the air tours in Ketchikan, changing flight visibility minimums and enhancing weather training for the air tour pilots. The changes would be more conservative than current requirements, but the NTSB believes they will reduce the potential for future fatal crashes involving air tours.
A review of fatal tour crashes in the Ketchikan area covers crashes from 2007 to the most recent in Aug. 2021. Upon reviewing, the NTSB looked into the effectiveness of 13 previous safety recommendations it had issued to the FAA between 2008 and 2017 to improve air tour safety.
Photo from NTSB report
According to the NTSB, the FAA previously responded to many recommendations involving voluntary operator actions. Many of these are no longer in effect or were ineffective at handling “overlapping hazards” brought on by a rapidly changing weather environment and the mountainous terrain. Both of these have been factors in fatal air tour crashes in the area.
When the FAA issued specific special federal aviation regulations in the past, it was seen as an effective way to further safety, according to the report. One regulation in response to several fatal crashes involving air tour aircraft in other similar geographic areas with their distinct hazards, like the Grand Canyon or Hawaii.
Regulations like these include enhancing equipment safety requirements, establishing a minimum flight altitude and airspace limitations for certain geographic areas. The FAA said these measures have proven effective in decreasing the rate of fatal crashes in air tour accidents.
READ THE FULL NTSB REPORT
“Special federal aviation regulations have effectively reduced air-tour accidents in other areas, saving untold lives. We need the same safety leadership now — before there’s yet another tragedy in Ketchikan,” Homendy said.
According to the full report given by the NTSB, the high-traffic season in Ketchikan saw about a dozen operators conducting Part 135 air tours, flying as low as 500 ft above ground level. A review of the accidents between 2007 and 2021 revealed seven Part 135 tour accidents, five of which were fatal like the August 2021 crash. Three of the five Part 135 crashes involved a VFR flight into IMC.
VFR flight is often used to show the passengers the view of the landscape and unique terrain. Weather conditions like rain and onshore wind are persistent in the Ketchikan area and paired with abundant wind and moisture from the nearby ocean create a weather system that is rapidly changing.
Addressing the many hazards of flight in the area, operators signed a letter of agreement to maintain compliance with operational elements like standard routes, reporting points and best practices. While many signed, compliance with standard routes was not mandatory. The pilot in the August crash signed the letter but took a non-standard route on the day of the crash.
Photo from NTSB report
The FAA was limited to encouraging voluntary participation in an agreement such as the LOA signed in Ketchikan. The NTSB found this was a contributing factor in the Aug. 2021 crash.
Safety recommendations made by the NTSB in their report focus mainly on weather concerns, training and FAA oversight of safe practices. The NTSB noted that certain air tour operators were continuing unsafe practices ad that some FAA responses were no longer in effect.
The conclusion found that the steps taken by the FAA to improve air tour safety in the Ketchikan area were not mitigated effectively. The distinct risks for flight in that area require additional action by the FAA and warrant improved pilot training for related risks in the area.
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