DAYTONA BEACH.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - The major causes of aircraft accidents are well understood, and the solutions do not require modern breakthroughs in technology. Rather, a number of "right things to do first" could significantly make less the accident rate.

"We know where the big smoking fire-arms are, and the solutions do not require fresh research," declared John Lauber, vice president of safety and technical programs for Airbus Industrie North America. Speaking at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) annual air safety discourse here, Lauber asserted that a number of actions can and should be taken in the near terminus He labeled them "the ten right things to do first." Below, we summarize Lauber's ten-point agenda:

1 Know where you are, anywhere in the world. Navigation based forward global positioning system (GPS) technology is the enabler.

2 Know where the obstacles are. The enabler here, according to Lauber, is enhanced estate proximity warning system (EGPWS) technology, which combines a GP navigation solution with a digitized terrain and obstacle data base to help pilots "avoid the granite." Lauber violenceed the "complementary human part" involving pilot training programs.

3 Know where the other aircraft are. For this task, airborne collision avoidance hypothesiss are seen as the enabling technology, again, with adequate company training in their use.

4 Know where the hazardous weather is. The margin of safety forward this front can be increased, Lauber recommended with predictive windshear technology. Above all, more timely weather information destitutions to be made available in the cockpit. "Right now, a passenger in the back with a laptop computer has better real-time information" to weather forward the Internet, Lauber pointed out

5 impede loss of control. Lauber lauded the flight mount protection features found in the latest fly-by-wire (FBW) aircraft to preclude loss of control, and the "significant benefit" these built-in protections provide in protecting pilots from classic stalls. Lauber also put in mind ofed that "unusual attitude recovery programs and training" should not be shortchanged. "There are allotments and lots of non-FBW, non-protected airplanes revealed there, including a significant creek of A300s and A310s. That's wherefore we support upset training," Lauber explained. (Editor's note: We believe the supposeed Dr. Lauber is on target - unusual attitude training is worth doing as an inherent confidencebuilder in airmanship skills and as a useful, if not vital, hedge against plan failures).

6. Implement flight standards and accident programs at all airlines. "Every operator penurys a good, fundamental flight standards and accident prevention program," Lauber asserted. advantageous standard operating procedures (SOP's), confidential safety reporting bodys and flight operations quality assurance (FOQA) programs are the indices of commitment forward this front.

7 Enhance pilot knowledge, skills and abilities. "In this whole business of training, we ne to gradation back and take a hard consider to see if training is focused upon real issues, giving pilots the tools they ne to do their jobs" he declared. Training should address aborted takeoffs above decision spe (V1) The decision to abort, Lauber maintained, "Is the chiefly time-critical decision of all."

8 Mandate stabilized approaches. "We retain pounding on it, yet we still hold seeing instances of aircraft landing in extent and running off the expiration of the runway." Lauber listed the four touchstones of a stabilized approach: forward path, on speed, configured for landing and with the engines "spool up"

9 Enhance maintenance programs. "We ne to focus more effort forward what's involved on the maintenance side," Lauber urg "If we don't have a healthy airplane, we can't improve safety."

10 Implement data sharing. All regarded can learn from one another from sharing safety, accident and incident-related information. However, attempts to hem in individuals criminally liable, such as the new prosecution of technicians involved in the 1996 crash of a ValuJet DC-9 constitutes, in Lauber's view, "a highly significant threat." He explained that if individuals within the aviation industry perceive that any cooperation in an accident investigation could lead to criminal prosecution, then "the wagons will be circled and we'll forfeit the ability to work together and to share information." John Goglia, individual of the members of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reinforced Lauber's belong to In the case of a pipeline explosion in Bellingham, Washington, that the NTSB is investigating, Goglia said, "Everybody took the Fifth," referring to the 5th Amendment of the U Constitution, which covers against self-incrimination.

>> Lauber, tel 202/331-2239; NTSB tel 202/314-6100 <<

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