Aviation Safety: FAA Generally Agrees With but Is Slow in Implementing Safety Recommendations
RCED-96-193
Published: Sep 23, 1996. Publicly Released: Oct 23, 1996.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) responsiveness to aviation safety-related recommendations made by GAO, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the Department of Transportation's (DOT) Office of the Inspector General (IG).
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status Sort descending |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Transportation | The Secretary of Transportation should instruct the Administrator, FAA, to periodically monitor the implementation of critical safety recommendations and the actions needed to fully resolve the problems that gave rise to the recommendations at the field level and report the status to Congress and the agency that made the recommendations. |
Closed – Implemented
DOT concurred with this recommendation and stated that the recommended actions are conducted on a continuous basis. It stated that its technical program offices in FAA monitor the effectiveness of the manner in which final implementation may be completed and that it is not necessary to create a new regular reporting process.
|
| Department of Transportation | To enhance the timeliness of FAA implementation of GAO and NTSB recommendations, the Secretary of Transportation should direct the Administrator, FAA, to ensure that initial responses to GAO and NTSB include the expected target dates for completion of actions to implement recommendations with which FAA agrees. |
Closed – Implemented
DOT concurred with this recommendation and stated that it is DOT's and FAA's policy that milestones for actions to be taken in response to GAO and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations be included in recommendation responses. DOT said that it will take actions on a continuing basis to ensure that all future GAO recommendation replies include appropriate milestones. DOT added that it will continue to work with NTSB to keep it informed of timeframes. DOT believes that no specific additional actions are necessary to achieve the above actions.
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| Department of Transportation | To enhance the timeliness of FAA implementation of GAO and NTSB recommendations, the Secretary of Transportation should take the necessary steps, in conjunction with the Office of the Secretary, to ensure that responses to congressional committees on GAO products are made within the 60-day timeframe required by law. |
Closed – Implemented
DOT concurred with the recommendation and said it will continue to innovate and refine its processes to ensure that the Congress and OMB receive high quality and timely responses to GAO recommendations. However, DOT has not met the 60-day requirement for responding to four of the five reports containing recommendations that GAO has issued since September 1996.
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