Safety
NTSB Alaska Forum Spotlights Training, Infrastructure
NTSB has investigated more than 200 Part 135 accidents in Alaska since 2008 that have collectively claimed 80 lives.

Citing concerns that more than 200 Part 135 crashes in Alaska have collectively resulted in some 80 fatalities since 2008, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chairman Robert Sumwalt on Friday stressed a need to improve training, risk management, use of technology, and aviation infrastructure in the state to improve overall safety. Sumwalt moderated a daylong session with more than two dozen industry, NTSB, and FAA officials to delve into those topics and develop solutions to reverse the Part 135 accident trends in the state. Pointing to statics that more than 80 percent of Alaska is not accessible by roads, Sumwalt said, “Not only is aviation essential to Alaska but so is Part 135. It’s essential to Alaska...We’re concerned about Part 135 safety in Alaska.”