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Sen. Klobuchar Requests Release of Airline Pilot Survey to Make America's Skies Safer

Klobuchar Urges NASA Administrator to disclose findings of 4-year study

October 23, 2007

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar wrote National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Michael Griffin to request that he release a survey of commercial and general aviation pilots that found serious problems with airline safety.  Sen. Klobuchar serves on the Senate Commerce Committee and Aviation Subcommittee which has jurisdiction over aviation matters. Klobuchar wants to make the findings available so consumers and lawmakers can take action to make airline travel safer.

After learning that the pilot survey supposedly reports nearly twice as many near midair collisions and runway incursions as other government monitoring systems, Klobuchar wrote Administrator Griffin stating:

“Safety for airline passengers can only be accomplished through transparency that allows us to directly address challenges,” said Klobuchar.  “Suppressing troubling data does not make our skies safer – it only clouds reality.”

According to reports, the pilot study was conducted by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) over the course of 4 years and includes interviews with nearly 24,000 pilots.

The full text of the letter is below.

Dr Michael Griffin
Administrator
National Aeronautics
     and Space Administration
300 E Street SW
Washington, DC 20546-0001

Dear Administrator Griffin:

I was disappointed to learn this morning that NASA has declined to release critical data from its unprecedented national survey of commercial and general aviation pilots.  As has been reported in the press, this information revealed the troubling fact that potentially catastrophic safety problems, such as near midair collisions and runway incursions, occur more frequently than previously recognized. 

If the airlines or our air traffic controllers are not operating safely, the American public has a right to know and industry and government must take action.  Safety for airline passengers can only be accomplished through transparency that allows us to directly address challenges.  Suppressing troubling data does not make our skies safer – it only clouds reality.

Furthermore, as a Member of the Senate Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over U.S. civil aviation, I am particularly concerned that NASA has refused to release its survey data to Congress.  If our airlines are failing to adequately protect their passengers, then Congress needs to take action and improve our nation’s air safety.  We cannot begin to do that, however, until we have access to the information and data gleaned from NASA’s aviation safety study. 

I urge you release this information as soon as possible. 

      Sincerely,

 

      Amy Klobuchar
      U.S. Senator

cc:    Senator John D. Rockefeller
       Senator Trent Lott
       Acting FAA Administrator Robert A. Sturgell

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