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Capt. John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots
Association, Int’l (ALPA), expressed grave concern about the
release of information relating to Northwest Flight 188
before the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
completes its fact-gathering and investigation.
“The release of information, even factually accurate
information, before the investigatory process is permitted to
work allows it to become sensationalized by the news media
and distracts from the goal of accident investigation, which
must be preventing future accidents and incidents,” said
Prater. “The action also undermines voluntary reporting
programs that are proven to help make our already safe air
transportation system even safer.”
In letters sent to
Federal Aviation Administrator
Randolph Babbitt and
NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman
this morning, Prater underscored that ALPA supports the highest
standards of professional behavior for airline pilots, but
“at the same time we expect aviation safety professionals
throughout government and industry to adhere to similarly
high standards in ensuring that all facts surrounding
incidents and accidents are allowed to be brought to light.”
ALPA’s Executive Board passed a resolution yesterday that
“directs the ALPA President in the strongest terms to use
all available means to ensure that NTSB and FAA take
necessary actions to prevent the release and/or misuse of
voluntarily submitted information and recommit to protect
the integrity of the programs to ensure robust data
protections are in place now and into the future.”
The goal of any incident or accident investigation must
be to do everything possible to prevent such an occurrence
from happening again, Prater said. Accurate safety
information and a thorough investigation process are
essential.
Prater pointed out that the FAA’s Aviation Safety Action
Program (ASAP) has become a cornerstone of efforts to
proactively advance safety in airline operations. He
emphasized the universal acceptance that voluntary,
nonpunitive reporting processes such as the ASAP program are
a vital element of aviation safety and that the information
volunteered must be protected and used solely to
advance safety.
“Pilots voluntarily provide information on incidents and
accidents as part of a safety reporting program and based on
the express agreement that the information will be used only
to enhance the safety of flight operations,” continued
Prater. “If the information provided is then rapidly
disseminated to the news media before all the facts are in
or the investigation is complete, our industry risks
compromising the effectiveness of a proven safety program
and the loss of valuable safety data.
“ALPA pilots participate in NTSB interviews and are very
candid with regard to their responses to questions,” Prater
reiterated. “In turn, we expect the NTSB to fulfill its
responsibilities in a professional manner and not be
influenced by news media pressure to forgo deliberative
processes. We stand ready as fellow safety professionals to
participate in all efforts to improve aviation safety
through complete investigation and protection of vital
aviation safety programs.” |
