Aviation Safety:
Information on FAA's Age 60 Rule for Pilots
RCED-90-45FS: Published: Nov 9, 1989. Publicly Released: Dec 4, 1989.
Additional Materials:
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Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) regulation prohibiting individuals 60 years or older from piloting large commercial aircraft.
GAO found that: (1) FAA has not changed the rule since its adoption in 1959; (2) since 1959, 418 pilots have submitted 67 petitions requesting exemptions, of which FAA has granted none; (3) from 1960 through 1988, FAA issued 1,301 medical certificates to pilots with physical and psychological conditions that would normally be disqualifying; (4) according to FAA, various studies have not identified an alternative that would ensure the same safety level as the 1959 regulation; and (5) FAA planned to fund a study of the relationship between age and accident rates in fiscal year 1991.
Sep 30, 2020
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Supplemental Material For GAO-20-686:
Transit Asset Management: Survey of TAM Program ParticipantsGAO-20-687SP: Published: Sep 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 30, 2020. -
Transit Asset Management:
FTA Should Clarify Performance Data and Develop a Plan to Guide Future Program ImprovementsGAO-20-686: Published: Sep 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 30, 2020.
Sep 8, 2020
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Airport Funding:
Information on Grandfathered Revenue Diversion and Potential Implications of RepealGAO-20-684: Published: Sep 8, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 8, 2020. -
Aviation Sanitation:
FDA Could Better Communicate with Airlines to Encourage Voluntary Construction Inspections of Aircraft Galleys and LavatoriesGAO-20-612: Published: Sep 8, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 8, 2020.
Sep 2, 2020
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Facial Recognition:
CBP and TSA are Taking Steps to Implement Programs, but CBP Should Address Privacy and System Performance IssuesGAO-20-568: Published: Sep 2, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 2, 2020.
Aug 20, 2020
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Aircraft Noise:
Information on a Potential Mandated Transition to Quieter AirplanesGAO-20-661: Published: Aug 20, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 20, 2020.
Aug 18, 2020
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Aviation Safety:
Actions Needed to Evaluate Changes to FAA's Enforcement Policy on Safety StandardsGAO-20-642: Published: Aug 18, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 18, 2020.
Aug 10, 2020
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Transportation Research:
Additional Actions Could Improve DOT's Internal Collaboration and Reliability of Information on Research ActivitiesGAO-20-622: Published: Aug 10, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 10, 2020.
Jul 27, 2020
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Surface Transportation Security:
TSA Has Taken Steps to Improve its Surface Inspector Program, but Lacks Performance TargetsGAO-20-558: Published: Jul 27, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 27, 2020.
Jul 16, 2020
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Capital Investment Grants Program:
FTA Should Improve the Effectiveness and Transparency of Its ReviewsGAO-20-512: Published: Jul 16, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 16, 2020.
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