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089623 1 (1975-04-11)

handle is hein.gao/gaobacvrf0001 and id is 1 raw text is: SU. UNITED STATES GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D.C. 20548 *ISOURCES AND ECONOMIC - DEVELOPMENT DIVISION The Honorable James E. Dow Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration Department of Transportation Dear Mr. Dow: We have surveyed the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) regulation of and surveillance over alterations to light aircraft. We made our survey at various locations in FAA's Southwest Region, at the Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and at FAA headquarters. As you know, light aircraft used by the public must conform to FAA standards of construction and performance by having an FAA approved type design. Subsequent alteration to an individual aircraft requires an in- spection to insure that the alteration is compatible with all previous alterations to the aircraft and does not adversely affect its airworthiness. Our survey indicated that FAA could better assure that alterations to light aircraft are compatible with the aircraft's prior alterations by improving the bases on which compatibility determinations are made. Our survey also indicated that FAA's monitoring of designated engineering repre- sentatives could be improved. Designated engineering representatives (DERs) are private engineers designated by FAA and used by aircraft owners to eval- uate and approve the engineering of aircraft alterations as FAA represen- tatives. NEED FOR BETTER COMPATIBILITY DETERMINATIONS The Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, in testimony before the Subcommittee on Government Activities, House Committee on Govern- ment Operations in June 1973 noted that the basic safety afforded by the original type certification process may be derogated when a number of FAA approved alterations are made to an aircraft. The Chairman further noted hat the Board was of the opinion that compatibility of multiple modifica- tions to a basic aircraft must be demonstrated to insure the continued integrity of the aircraft as an airworthy system. FAA told the Board that inadequate compatibility determinations were not widespread and had caused a safety problem only in one accident.

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