NTSB -- SAFETY BOARD ISSUES RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING HUDSON RIVER

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NTSB PRESS RELEASE

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National Transportation Safety Board

Washington, DC 20594

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 27, 2009

SB-09-46

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SAFETY BOARD ISSUES RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING HUDSON RIVER

CLASS B EXCLUSION AREA

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The National Transportation Safety Board today issued five

safety recommendations to the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) resulting from the Safety Board's

ongoing investigation of the midair collision over the

Hudson River near Hoboken, New Jersey on August 8, 2009.

The collision of a Eurocopter AS350 BA helicopter, and a

Piper PA-32R-300 airplane caused nine fatalities, including

the pilot and five passengers aboard the helicopter and the

pilot and two passengers aboard the airplane.

The helicopter flight was a local sightseeing flight

conducted under the provisions of Code of Federal

Regulations (CFR) Parts 135 and 136. The airplane flight was

a personal flight conducted under CFR part 91. Visual

meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plans were

required or filed for either flight. However, the airplane

pilot requested flight-following services.

The area surrounding the major airports in New York City is

designated class B airspace. Pilots are required to get

permission from air traffic control (ATC) to enter class B

airspace and to follow ATC instructions once there. The

collision occurred in the Hudson River class B exclusion

area, a passageway through the New York City area class B

airspace that permits (non-air carrier) aircraft to fly

north and south along the Hudson River without authorization

from air traffic controllers.

Aircraft, such as the accident airplane, departing Teterboro

airport for destinations to the south or southeast must

either request ATC clearance to enter the class B airspace

or circumnavigate the class B airspace around Newark airport

to the west or use the Hudson River class B exclusion area.

In the Hudson River class B exclusion area, they are

required to remain at or below 1,100 feet.

"The FAA has established procedures for operation within the

Hudson River class B exclusion area that are designed to

minimize the risk of collision, but as this accident

demonstrates, there are still situations when these

established procedures are not enough," said NTSB Chairman

Deborah A. P. Hersman. "Our recommendations suggest

operational changes that can make this corridor a safer

place to fly."

These new recommendations ask the FAA to revise standard

operating ATC procedures for the Hudson River class B

exclusion area, and to brief air traffic controllers and

supervisors about the circumstances of this accident,

emphasizing the requirement to remain attentive when on

duty. The recommendations also ask the FAA to establish a

special flight rules area (SFRA) for the class B exclusion

areas near New York City, require vertical separation

between helicopters and airplanes in these SFRAs, require

pilots to complete specific training on the SFRA

requirements before flight within the area, and conduct a

review of other airspace configurations where specific pilot

training and familiarization would improve safety.

Safety recommendation letter to the Federal Aviation

Administration:

http://www.ntsb.gov/Recs/letters/2009/A09_82_86.pdf

NTSB Media Contact: Keith Holloway, (202) 314-6100

hollowk@xxxxxxxx

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