Accidents
FAA Releases Final Alaska Safety Initiative Report
The FAA's Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative points to solutions to the state's poor safety record, but costs are an obstacle.
The Denali USCRN station with (from left to right) the station’s main instrument tower, precipitation gauges, and power systems in addition to Denali (Mt. McKinley) in the background. (Photo: NOAA)
The Denali USCRN station with (from left to right) the station’s main instrument tower, precipitation gauges, and power systems in addition to Denali (Mt. McKinley) in the background. (Photo: NOAA)

On October 14, the FAA released the final report of its Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative (FAASI). Developed in response to a recommendation from the NTSB, which followed that agency’s 2019 Most Wanted List Roundtable on Alaska Part 135 Flight Operations, the report addresses such longstanding issues as Alaska’s underfunded and broken infrastructure, lack of certified weather availability for published instrument approaches, and broad gaps in areas of communication and surveillance.