On November 12, 2013, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published its final rule concerning revised pilot qualification and training requirements. The final rule includes pilot training requirements for high-risk scenarios, including prevention of and recovery from stall and upset conditions and recovery from bounced landings. The final rule requires that air carriers institute remedial training and tracking programs for pilots with performance deficiencies or multiple failures. Additionally, pilots in command who fly multiple aircraft will be required to receive a proficiency check in each aircraft type flown.
The final rule also includes more technical provisions, such as a prohibition of air carriers from identifying persons who have not completed flight attendant training and qualification as flight attendants and revisions to recordkeeping requirements for communications between flight crew and dispatch personnel.
In 2009, the FAA published a notice of proposed rulemaking proposing a comprehensive reorganization and revision to crewmember and aircraft dispatcher qualification, training and evaluation requirements. Following the Colgan Air crash in 2009 and a subsequent congressional mandate to ensure that all crewmembers receive appropriate ground and flight training, the FAA issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking in 2011 further addressing pilot qualifications. After considering recent changes to the aviation sector, the FAA opted to finalize provisions that enhance pilot training for rare high-risk scenarios. It is the FAA’s position that this enhanced training will provide the greatest safety benefit. In analyzing the final rule, the FAA identified eleven accidents which resulted in fatalities or injuries between 1988 and 2009 that could have been avoided or mitigated had the proposed training requirements been in effect.
The FAA noted that the time it would take to publish a final rule containing comprehensive revisions to and reorganization of the existing training program requirements would result in an unacceptable delay to the provisions set forth in this final rule. The FAA stated it would continue to evaluate the need for comprehensive changes to the qualification and training requirements for pilots, flight engineers, flight attendants and dispatchers.
The final rule is effective March 12, 2014. Air carriers will be required to comply with technical provisions of the final rule on the effective date. However, air carriers are not required to comply with certain substantive provisions of the final rule until five years after the effective date.
The final rule published in theFederal Register can be found here.
For more information on the FAA’s final rule and pilot training requirements, contact Ronce Almond at (202) 457-7790.