Safety board recommends new measures for Alaska air tours

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal accident investigators say the government should issue regulations to improve the safety of air tours in part of Alaska where seven sightseeing planes have crashed since 2007, killing 31 people.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday that the Federal Aviation Administration should tighten rules about minimum visibility during flights and require more weather training for pilots who fly around Ketchikan. The coastal area near the southern tip of Alaska is known for mountainous terrain and quickly changing weather.

“There have been too many air tour tragedies in Ketchikan, a place with unique — but well understood — safety hazards that endanger the lives of pilots and passengers alike,” board Chair Jennifer Homendy said in a statement. “Unless the FAA acts swiftly, experience tells us to expect even more heartbreak and preventable loss of life.”

In a report dated Nov. 16 but released Tuesday by the NTSB, the board said it had issued 13 safety recommendations to the FAA in recent years, but the FAA has instead relied on operators following voluntary terms of a 2009 agreement. The NTSB said that has proved ineffective.

The FAA responded that it started a “ sweeping examination ” of safety issues in Alaska last year, which it called a top priority.