Safety
Washington Report
Although the U.S.

Although the U.S. remains the gold standard in aviation safety, a sharp rise in fatalities among on-demand air charter operations last year has raised a flag with the NTSB.

“While the overall aviation safety record of the United States is among the best in the world, the 2008 accident statistics reveal a mixed picture,” said Safety Board acting chairman Mark Rosenker. “We are particularly concerned about the spike in fatalities in on-demand air charter operations. There’s a lot of room for improvement in this area, and as evidenced by our recent forum on emergency medical service heli- copter accidents, we continue to do everything we can to identify the safety issues involved, and to advocate for the adoption of our recommendations, which will make the skies safer.”