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| Il relitto dell'AF447.jpg (courtesy of telegraph.co.uk) |
NEW YORK - Assolutamente degna di nota è la posizione assunta dal senatore americano dello stato di New York Chuck Schumer che, in una conferenza stampa ai margini di un congresso della FAA sul rafforzamento degli standard internazionali circa la formazione dei piloti, ha denunciato lo scarso addestramento con cui alcuni piloti si approcciano alla guida di aeromobili tecnicamente complessi.
Schumer ha messo in relazione tre incidenti: quelli tragici dell'Air France 447 precipitato nelle acque dell'Atlantico il 1 giugno 2009 e del volo Colgan Air 3407 e quello drammatico dell'Asiana Airlines nell'aeroporto di San Francisco. In tutti i casi - secondo l'accusa di Schumer - gli equipaggi non sono stati in grado di valutare correttamente i dati di volo: ricordiamo che nel caso del 447 i tubi di Pitot, congelati, trasmisero dati sbagliati. Ma è anche vero che in quella circostanza l'equipaggio non fu in grado di pilotare l'aereo in modalità manuale. Quanto al crash landing di Asiana, invece, l'accusa è più diretta: i piloti, infatti, erano ancora in via di formazione per pilotare un 777, sebbene avessero alle spalle oltre 10000 ore su altri modelli.
L'oggetto dell'accusa è "a troubling pattern in which pilots are mishandling air speed, which can lead to fatal stalls", "errata percezione della reale velocità che può portare a uno stallo fatale". Schumer e il deputato Higgins hanno scritto una lettera all'amministratore della Federal Aviation Administration Michael Huerta chiedendo, di concerto con l'ICAO, l'avvio di una ratificazione sulla sicurezza aerea nei paesi non americani per valutare il quadro più ampio della sicurezza dell'aviazione internazionale.
Di seguito la lettera tratta dal sito ufficiale del senatore Schumer:
"Dear Administrator Huerta,
Unfortunately, we write you today in the harrowing days after the recent San Francisco airport crash of Asiana Flight 214. First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those affected by this horrifying accident. As our congressional delegation knows all too well, these events are all too permanent tests of the strength of the individuals and families affected by this tragedy. We can only hope and pray that they find the strength and collective support to make it through these difficult times ahead.
As you know, this tragic accident is the first commercial crash on American soil since the Colgan Air Flight 3407 accident of February 12, 2009. While it would be irresponsible to pre-judge the causes of this accident before the completion of the on-going National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation, we believe the initial facts known about this event – as well as the forthcoming delivery of a comprehensive new set of safety rules in the United States - present an opportunity for the FAA to take a lead role on the world stage by implementing and promoting greater levels of aviation safety and training.
In the months and years after the Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash, we worked with our colleagues in the U.S. Congress and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to implement a single standard of safety across our domestic aviation industry. This has been no small undertaking for all the stakeholders involved. While we commend the FAA for swiftly putting in place new rules on pilot fatigue and today publishing an important rule on pilot certification, American passengers still await the completion of rules that will set new minimum standards on crewmember training (RIN 2120-AJ00), safety management systems (RIN 2120-AJ86), and flight simulation training standards (RIN 2120-AK08). These new rules will dramatically change the framework of aviation safety requirements for domestic carriers and make passengers and flight crews safer. Putting them in place as soon as possible must be a top priority for the FAA.
While we believe these rules can make the U.S. a world leader in aviation safety in the areas of pilot fatigue, pilot certification, and crewmember training, we think that international carriers should also be pushed to adopt a more seamless set of standards. In the case of the Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash – and potentially in the Asiana Flight 214 crash – a dramatic loss of airspeed and a lack of effective reaction to aerodynamic stall were factors in the event. This pattern has also presented itself in other crashes over the past decade. Moreover, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations Special Agency for aviation, recently concluded in a 2013 Aviation Safety report that “recurrent simulator training for airline pilots has remained relatively unchanged since the advent of flight simulators.” Therefore, we would urge that the FAA work with ICAO and other major aviation authorities at the upcoming General Assembly meeting to bring parity to the world’s training systems and procedures. We also realize this is not by any means a one-way street: there are likely many effective procedures in place around the world that the U.S. might consider adopting as best practices.
Again, we want to express our deepest gratitude to your agencies and all of the first responders for their hard work and diligence during these trying times. However, we believe it is imperative that we continue to fight on behalf of more rigorous aviation safety protocols and oversight in our country and the rest of the world.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer Brian Higgins
U.S. Senator U.S. Representative "
Schumer ha messo in relazione tre incidenti: quelli tragici dell'Air France 447 precipitato nelle acque dell'Atlantico il 1 giugno 2009 e del volo Colgan Air 3407 e quello drammatico dell'Asiana Airlines nell'aeroporto di San Francisco. In tutti i casi - secondo l'accusa di Schumer - gli equipaggi non sono stati in grado di valutare correttamente i dati di volo: ricordiamo che nel caso del 447 i tubi di Pitot, congelati, trasmisero dati sbagliati. Ma è anche vero che in quella circostanza l'equipaggio non fu in grado di pilotare l'aereo in modalità manuale. Quanto al crash landing di Asiana, invece, l'accusa è più diretta: i piloti, infatti, erano ancora in via di formazione per pilotare un 777, sebbene avessero alle spalle oltre 10000 ore su altri modelli.
L'oggetto dell'accusa è "a troubling pattern in which pilots are mishandling air speed, which can lead to fatal stalls", "errata percezione della reale velocità che può portare a uno stallo fatale". Schumer e il deputato Higgins hanno scritto una lettera all'amministratore della Federal Aviation Administration Michael Huerta chiedendo, di concerto con l'ICAO, l'avvio di una ratificazione sulla sicurezza aerea nei paesi non americani per valutare il quadro più ampio della sicurezza dell'aviazione internazionale.
Di seguito la lettera tratta dal sito ufficiale del senatore Schumer:
"Dear Administrator Huerta,
Unfortunately, we write you today in the harrowing days after the recent San Francisco airport crash of Asiana Flight 214. First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those affected by this horrifying accident. As our congressional delegation knows all too well, these events are all too permanent tests of the strength of the individuals and families affected by this tragedy. We can only hope and pray that they find the strength and collective support to make it through these difficult times ahead.
As you know, this tragic accident is the first commercial crash on American soil since the Colgan Air Flight 3407 accident of February 12, 2009. While it would be irresponsible to pre-judge the causes of this accident before the completion of the on-going National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation, we believe the initial facts known about this event – as well as the forthcoming delivery of a comprehensive new set of safety rules in the United States - present an opportunity for the FAA to take a lead role on the world stage by implementing and promoting greater levels of aviation safety and training.
In the months and years after the Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash, we worked with our colleagues in the U.S. Congress and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to implement a single standard of safety across our domestic aviation industry. This has been no small undertaking for all the stakeholders involved. While we commend the FAA for swiftly putting in place new rules on pilot fatigue and today publishing an important rule on pilot certification, American passengers still await the completion of rules that will set new minimum standards on crewmember training (RIN 2120-AJ00), safety management systems (RIN 2120-AJ86), and flight simulation training standards (RIN 2120-AK08). These new rules will dramatically change the framework of aviation safety requirements for domestic carriers and make passengers and flight crews safer. Putting them in place as soon as possible must be a top priority for the FAA.
While we believe these rules can make the U.S. a world leader in aviation safety in the areas of pilot fatigue, pilot certification, and crewmember training, we think that international carriers should also be pushed to adopt a more seamless set of standards. In the case of the Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash – and potentially in the Asiana Flight 214 crash – a dramatic loss of airspeed and a lack of effective reaction to aerodynamic stall were factors in the event. This pattern has also presented itself in other crashes over the past decade. Moreover, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations Special Agency for aviation, recently concluded in a 2013 Aviation Safety report that “recurrent simulator training for airline pilots has remained relatively unchanged since the advent of flight simulators.” Therefore, we would urge that the FAA work with ICAO and other major aviation authorities at the upcoming General Assembly meeting to bring parity to the world’s training systems and procedures. We also realize this is not by any means a one-way street: there are likely many effective procedures in place around the world that the U.S. might consider adopting as best practices.
Again, we want to express our deepest gratitude to your agencies and all of the first responders for their hard work and diligence during these trying times. However, we believe it is imperative that we continue to fight on behalf of more rigorous aviation safety protocols and oversight in our country and the rest of the world.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer Brian Higgins
U.S. Senator U.S. Representative "
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