THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 10, 1994 TAG: 9412100226
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF & WIRE REPORTS
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
In a step that could cripple some regional air travel service, the Federal Aviation Administration on Friday ordered U.S. airlines not to fly ATR commuter planes in icy conditions or when icy weather is forecast.
ATRs are widely used twin-engine, propeller aircraft.
The order, which takes effect immediately, is a direct result of the Oct. 31 crash of an American Eagle ATR aircraft in northern Indiana that killed 68 people.
FAA officials denied that service would be shut down for those airlines that rely on ATR planes.
``What it will do is require them to move their fleets around and it will certainly . . . cause some flight disruption,'' said Anthony Broderick, the FAA's associate administrator for regulation and certification.
``We do expect some inconvenience and we regret that, but we'll do everything we can to minimize that.''
Nine airlines operate 145 ATR planes in the United States - from the Southwest to the Northeast. ATR stands for Avions de Transport Regional.
The largest regional carrier flying out of Norfolk International Airport, USAir Express, doesn't operate any ATR airplanes, said a spokesman for Piedmont Airlines, which does business as USAir Express in the Mid-Atlantic states.
American Eagle Airlines, which has six daily flights between Norfolk and Raleigh, operates four ATR airplanes from its Raleigh base, an American Eagle spokeswoman said. The ATRs are part of American Eagle's Raleigh fleet; their scheduled flights vary.
Broderick said the FAA decided to issue the order just hours after receiving new information from the French manufacturers of the ATR-42 and the ATR-72 that pilots could lose control of the planes in certain icy conditions.
The FAA order says airlines cannot fly their ATR planes if the temperature drops to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below - which effectively bars airlines from scheduling ATR flights in much of the country during winter.
``There's no doubt this will have a significant impact on our service, especially as the holiday season gears up,'' said John McDonald, a spokesman for Trans World Airlines, whose subsidiary Trans World Express Inc. operates 11 ATR planes flying to nine cities out of New York's John F. Kennedy Airport.
``We will try and protect our customers where we can by putting them on other carriers or other modes of transportation.'' ILLUSTRATION: AFFECTED AIRLINES
Nine regional air carriers in the United States fly ATR-73 and
ATR-42 planes, which were banned from flying in icy weather by the
FAA on Friday:
Atlantic Southeast, 12 ATR-42.
Continental Express, 42 ATR-42, 2 ATR-72.
Executive Airlines (American Eagle), 7 ATR-42, 2 ATR-72.
Flagship Airlines (American Eagle), 14 ATR-42.
Mahalo Air, 4 ATR-42.
Simmons (American Eagle), 25 ATR-42, 23 ATR-72.
Summit Aviation, 3 ATR-42.
Trans States, 8 ATR-42, 3 ATR-72.
Trans World Express, 11 ATR-42.
KEYWORDS: FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
by CNB