hotspot -WSS

hotspot

author：focus 2025-09-27 12:22:55 - browse：4173

HONOLULU -- The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that it is setting up a new process for air tour operators in Hawaii to be approved to fly at lower altitudes after numerous fatal crashes in recent years.

Current FAA regulations require air tour operators to fly at 1,500 feet (460 meters) unless they have authorization to go lower.

The agency said in a news release that it has outlined the new process for securing that authorization, including recommendations for pilot training, qualifications and aircraft equipment. The FAA said it will thoroughly review each operator’s safety plan before it issues an authorization.

“This process will help prevent situations where pilots encounter poor visibility and become disoriented,” said David Boulter, the FAA's acting associate administrator for aviation safety.

In 2019, a pilot and six passengers were killed when their helicopter crashed in turbulent weather near Kauai's famed Na Pali Coast.

A National Transportation Safety Board investigation blamed the crash on the pilot’s decision to keep flying in worsening weather. The board also said the FAA failed to do enough to ensure that tour pilots in Hawaii are trained in handling bad weather.

Also in 2019, three people died when a helicopter crashed on a street in the Honolulu suburb of Kailua.

And earlier that same year, a skydiving plane crashed on Oahu's North Shore, killing 11. Investigators blamed the pilot's aggressive takeoff for that crash.

U.S. Rep. Ed Case, a Democra, cautiously welcomed the FAA"s new steps.

“On first review, this seems to be a serious restart attempt by the FAA to address escalating air tour safety and community disruption concerns," Case said in an emailed statement.

But Case said “it remains to be seen” if tour operators will comply with the letter and the spirit of the initiative and whether the FAA will enforce it.

"But even if they do, the end solution is strict compliance with all safety requirements and strict regulation of time, place and other conditions of operation to mitigate disruption,” Case said.

Previous article： Heart attack and stroke risk calculators need revising
Next article： Wildfire smoke exposes gaps in outdoor worker protections

hotspot

focus

WSS

Walensky prepares to leave CDC — and Congress — behind

Indiana Supreme Court upholds abortion ban, says state constitution gives only limited protections

DeSantis talks Trump, trans issues and 'what wokeness is'

The cancer drug shortage isn’t new — and neither are the solutions

EF3 tornado rips through North Carolina amid extreme weather nationwide

Medicare proposal to cover medical devices draws a mixed reaction

focus

hotspot

hotspot

ChatGPT in medicine: STAT answers readers' burning questions

Wildfires rage amid heat wave in Greece, prompting evacuations and call for European support

Continuity nursing helped my family in our darkest PICU moments

Walensky prepares to leave CDC — and Congress — behind

Walensky prepares to leave CDC — and Congress — behind

Divers poised to search for children washed away in Pennsylvania flash flood

Guidelines to prevent youth baseball injuries need more muscle

Food as medicine: CMS rules hamper 'prescribing' of fruits, veggies

As demand for Covid shots wanes, Moderna seeks its next success

Study identifies new proteins linked to dementia risk 25 years later

explore

Tori Bowie and the unacceptable rates of Black maternal death

Wildfire smoke exposes gaps in outdoor worker protections

Jerome Adams on the need for new antivirals for Covid

Duchenne breakthrough therapy leaves behind pioneering families

Driven by the pandemic, applicants flood public health schools

Food as medicine: CMS rules hamper 'prescribing' of fruits, veggies

knowledge

hotspot

focus

entertainment