Flying in Alaska - Curt Lewis

FAA's struggles in Alaska a problem for everyone who flies here

OPINION: Dangers of flying in Alaska are only made worse by lack of oversight staffing and smart decisions both before and during flights. Pictured: National Transportation Safety Board investigator Brice Banning at the site of the fatal Alaska Central Express crash northeast of Dillingham in March 2013.

NTSB
Last Friday the National Transportation Safety Board released final reports for two multiple-fatality accidents in St. Mary's (2013) and Kwethluk (2014). Both aircraft were operated by Hageland Aviation as part of the family of airlines known previously as Era Alaska and now Ravn Alaska. While the Kwethluk crash occurred during a training flight and was determined to be due to the check airman's actions, the board found that in St. Mary's the pilot, flight locators, company and Federal Aviation Administration were at fault.

These crashes were the last in a line of accidents and incidents over two years that prompted the NTSB to issue an urgent safety recommendation to the FAA in 2014 regarding Ravn's safety and regulatory compliance. The FAA was also directed to audit its own oversight of the air group. A review of recent commercial aviation accidents in Alaska reveals that the agency's struggles with Ravn were not an isolated case.