The U.S. Commercial Air Tour Industry: A Review of Aviation Safety Concerns

Commercial air tours are "flight(s) conducted for compensation or hire in an airplane or helicopter where a purpose of the flight is sightseeing" as defined by the U.S. Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The crash rate of the U.S. air tour industry is significantly high in comparison to similar aviation operations. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has made recommendations in four areas of safety concern: surveillance by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), pilot factors, standardization of operating regulations, and quality of maintenance. This paper presents the recommended interventions and the responses of the FAA and the air tour industry. The author reviews the issues that have been resolved successfully, and those issues which still need to be addressed.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.3357/ASEM.3814.2014
• Record URL:
  • http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asma/asem/2014/00000085/00000002/art00009
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00956562
• Authors:
  • Ballard, Sarah-Blythe
• Publication Date: 2014-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 160-166
• Serial:
  • Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine
  • Volume: 85
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Aerospace Medical Association
  • ISSN: 0095-6562
  • Serial URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asma/asem

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aviation safety; Crash causes; Helicopter transportation; Small aircraft; Tour operators; Tourism
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Federal Aviation Administration; U.S. National Transportation Safety Board
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01506760
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 10 2014 10:18AM