The wheels of government turn slow, exceedingly slow. Twelve years after a jet explosion killed 230 people off Long Island, the Federal Aviation Administration has put in place a final regulation aimed at preventing the cause of the explosion.
TWA Flight 800 exploded July 17, 1996, when gases trapped in its fuel tanks were ignited. The National Transportation Safety Board issued recommendations for fuel tank changes five months after Flight 800 crashed.
Yet, it was five years later in 2001 that the FAA issued rules requiring airlines to minimize the risks by eliminating the source of ignition such as faulty wiring.
The latest regulation requires airlines with center fuel tanks to install devices that will reduce the oxygen content of the tanks by filling them with inert gases as the fuel is used. The rule will affect about 2,700 passenger aircraft that have the center fuel tanks between the wings. Beginning in 2010, all new aircraft with that design must include the safety feature. Cargo planes are not covered by the rule.
The rulemaking was slowed by industry opposition objecting to the cost.
Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters said the upgrade would cost between $92,000 and $311,000 per aircraft, while she recognized that it is a "very critical time" for the industry with rising fuel prices.
The cost is minor in comparison to the cost of lives that might be lost, and the changes could have been implemented well before the current problems developed.
The industry can still implement the new rule at its own pace. The aircraft can be retrofitted according to maintenance schedules, and the industry will have nine years to complete the work.
An industry spokesman questioned the need for the change after wiring changes had been made that reduce the chance of ignition. "It's like a bale of hay," said David A. Castelveter, spokesman for the Air Transport Association. "Without the match, you don't have the ignition source."
Twelve years and still counting until the safety recommendation is implemented. At this pace, he better be right.
