Sen. Sullivan and Murkowski, along with Rep. Begich, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, and the NTSB Board Chair for Alaska media, held a press conference regarding their shared focus on enhancing aviation safety in Alaska following the deadly crash of a commuter aircraft in the Bering Sea on Thursday, Feb. 6.
The tragic crash occurred near Nome that took the lives of 10 Alaskans a week after the aviation collision in Washington, DC.
Sullivan stated, “We’re a small state in terms of population and lives lost in Alaska touch many people.”
He mentioned that they continue to focus on the Don Young Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative (DYAASI), formerly known as the FAA Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative (FAASI), with the Department of Transportation.
“That showed that, unfortunately, not surprisingly for our constituents, we had the highest crash rates and the highest death rates in terms of aviation accidents in the country. So, what this initiative is focused on is bringing federal agencies together with more infrastructure, more weather reporting, and a focus on Alaska to bring down these rates.” Sullivan says.
The last FAA reauthorization bill the state passed last year stated on the commerce committee side that the DYASSI would receive $25 million in funding. The FAA also issued a release stating they would review other airspaces with a lot of congestion, including the Anchorage Bowl.
Aviation in Alaska is a necessity for much of the state, with 82% of communities accessible only by air.
An NTSB team was launched to investigate the crash of Bering Air Flight 445. The team has grown to 17 personnel, including NTSB investigators in Alaska.
NTSB Board Chair Jennifer Homendy for Alaska media, acknowledged the concerns about flying and assured that it’s safe following recent crashes across the country.
“Aviation is the safest mode of transportation in the US. 95% of all transportation deaths are on our nation’s roads. I know it’s tough to watch the unfolding of events over the last two weeks, but I can tell you that aviation is incredibly safe.” Homendy says. “Safety is never complete. We have more to do. The NTSB is deeply committed to aviation safety in Alaska, to working with our partners in Congress, and with Secretary Duffy.”
She says, “NTSB has and remains very focused on aviation safety in Alaska, which faces unique challenges unlike those in the lower 48’s,” including rapidly changing weather conditions.
Homendy states that Alaska has seen a downward trend in accidents from 13.54 accidents per 100,000 flight hours in 2020 to 9.05 in 2023. “The goal is zero, so there’s always more that we can do to improve safety, but it is going down.”
Secretary Duffy of Transportation acknowledged the rough weather in Alaska saying, “If you need good weather information in any place in in the 50 states, you need it in Alaska.”
“We have to change that. We need the resources to make sure that we have weather data that’s accurate so pilots can make judgment calls that bring us more safety in addition telecommunication goes down, and again if you can’t stay in touch, and whether you’re getting weather communicating to pilots. These are simple things… If this was in some other state in the lower 48, no one would tolerate this.” Duffy said. “Our brothers and sisters need to make sure that they have their resources in their communities to make sure when they get on airplanes, they take off and land safely in their destination.”
“We cannot normalize the fact that we are accepting half of a safety system.” Murkowski added.
Begich said they have the opportunity to make airline transportation safer in Alaska and throughout the nation. “That is what we owe the people of Alaska.”