EDITORIAL: When profits take precedence over safety

Daily Record 12:07 a.m. EDT June 26, 2014

Some politicians complain about “burdensome” government regulations. They subscribe to the school of thought that Uncle Sam should simply get out of the way, impose fewer requirements on industries and allow the private sector to self-regulate — and flourish.

When these same politicians are touring a flood-ravaged area in a helicopter or heading to a campaign event in a single-engine airplane, they should know their philosophy is a reality. They are experiencing less government in motion.

When it comes to oversight and safety requirements of small aircraft, the federal government has ensured the skies are incredibly friendly — for manufacturers.

Over the past 50 years, nearly 45,000 people have been killed in private planes and helicopters, according to a recent USA Today investigation. That averages out to about 17 people a week. It is almost nine times the number who have died in airline crashes.

While federal officials and manufacturers blame pilots in the majority of crashes, the investigation found that many crashes, deaths and injuries were caused, instead, by defective parts and dangerous designs.

For years, small aircraft manufacturers have covered up problems, lied to regulators and failed to address malfunctioning equipment — similar to the way General Motors covered up its defective parts. USA Today found that aircraft manufacturers often refuse to acknowledge or recall suspicious parts and quietly pay secret settlements that federal regulators may be unaware of.

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration exempts tens of thousands of private planes and helicopters from common-sense safety features.

Even though passengers wearing shoulder and lap belts are 50 percent less likely to be killed or injured in a single-engine airplane crash, the government agency has not required airplane owners to install them. The “economic burden” would “outweigh any potential benefit,” the FAA concluded.

Proponents of “less government” may be thrilled a federal agency is so concerned about the economic security of a particular industry. However, the rest of us might consider equipment that increases our chances of surviving a plane crash a “potential benefit.’’

The stated mission of the FAA is providing “the safest, most efficient, aerospace system in the world.” Yet this agency has in place a policy known as “grandfathering,” which allows manufacturers to build aircraft under safety standards that were in place decades ago.

Of course, if you were killed or injured while driving a car, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would receive information about the crash. Such information has led to requiring safety. When it comes to small aircraft, however, there is essentially no requirement to gather specific injury data.

So to those politicians who repeatedly advocate smaller government and fewer regulations, your vision is being realized. When you board a small plane, you can rest assured the manufacturer may have saved money by not installing safety features.

And if that plane crashes, don't be concerned with pesky government regulators digging too deep into what happened. Manufacturers, not the regulators, may be the ones inspecting parts for malfunctions and defects.

Original Article:  http://www.dailyrecord.com/opinion