Smoke in the Cockpit: The unenforced regulation

Rep. Mazie Hirono, (D) representing the second district of Hawaii, questioning Nancy D. LoBue, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Aviation Policy, Planning and Environment at a House Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation Subcommittee Hearing February 11, 2008 as to why the FAA should not mandate the same level of safety against blinding, unstoppable smoke in the cockpit for the public that the FAA has on its own airplanes. Ms. LoBue was substituting for Acting Administrator Lynne A. Osmus who was sick.

Most of the public believe that this event is unique to small aircraft. On the contrary, there is, on average, an emergency landing due to aircraft smoke once per day in North America alone. The airlines and the FAA have have not solved this problem for the pubic. Meanwhile, the FAA, the Department of Transportation, and senior Executive Branch officals fly with equipment that permits them to see in the event of smoke in the cockpit. Only one airline, Jet Blue, flies with equipment that permits its pilots to see in the event of smoke in the cockpit.

Airline pilots should be able to see their vital instruments to navigate and view out their windows to safely land their aircraft. It should not matter whether or not the cockpit if filled with dense continuous smoke. The hubris required for these senior government officials to fly with the knowledge that their pilots will be able to land safely in the event of a smoke emergency is unmeasurable.