NTSB’s approach to SFO near-disasters troubling

I don't think this excitable writer knows what the mission of the NTSB is.

The NTSB determines facts. That's it.

It is up to congress and the FAA to require people to do things.

Turning off the flight director, not having a visual Q, "flying the box" unfamiliar w/ the approach whatever the reason, mistakes do happen. CVR tapes should be secured upon landing and turned over to authorities w/out airline intervention after such incidents. If there is something that needs to be fixed, corrected then let the chips fall where they may. Nothing gets corrected by hiding the possible reasons. As for punitive use of CVR's, so be it if the facts show it. Never rely on the written or verbal statements on their own by anyone.
The various parties all have something to protect. In any case, it is the public who places their trust on and in a system they can hardly understand.

This is a perfect example of why we shouldn't privatize ATC, because the airlines have no interest in investigating the why or how something that almost killed a thousand people and their influence and power over the FAA to investigate or change things is telling in that nobody there seems to care either.

CVR’s should never be used punitively, and that is exactly what they are trying to do. Interviews with the pilots is more than enough to get a grasp of the situation and make changes to the system to solve the issue.

The NTSB determines facts, that's true, and they don't legislate, that's also true, but they do make recommendations, some stronger than others. It's simply a case of separation of powers--we don't want the investigators making regulations, and we don't want regulators doing investigations, simply for the ostensible sake of objectivity on both sides.

There are fair (to pilots) ways to use the CVR in investigations and followups on incidents/accidents; the 30-minute limit on the 'tape' is an anachronism, as is the ability of the pilots to erase the tape.

I think it's a shame that the most important point was buried (really, ignored) in the article, which is that there are already regulations in place to ensure that the CVR is secured by the aircraft operator in the event of an incident that requires immediate reporting to the NTSB. So the reason why the CVR wasn't secured in the three incidents mentioned in the article is simply because they didn't qualify as incidents that required reporting to the NTSB at the time, and no airline's going to voluntarily remove an aircraft from revenue service if they don't have to. So the only point of contention is whether or not those types of incidents (however one may define them in specific and legally-acceptable language) ought to require immediate notification to the NTSB.

As a refreshing contrast to the; otherwise, sensationalistic and fear-mongering media, I'd like to offer a more positive perspective: "near-disasters" are not disasters. One crucial point that's often overlooked is that accidents were successfully prevented three times precisely because the aviation safety systems in place are sufficiently robust to preclude them.

Just keep voting for the party of LESS regulation, actually NO regulation if the can get away with it and no culpability will be the result.... this is the very tip of the iceberg in all industries.

Their mantra is regulations kill profits, the plebs be damned ... all while corporations are booking record profits.

That same party made the Citizens United Supreme Ct. ruling happen so now we have unlimited Corporate political donations to fund their agenda... and EXACTLY what this article is about is the result and expect more of it.

The corporate money behind that party is ONLY interested in maximizing profit... safety... well they will throw a few bones when the plebs get upset or killed and its a write-off anyway so no worries the plebs are clueless and it was cost effective... See more proof regulations kill profits and that is absolutely true.

Just look at the tax bill that just passed, in spite of the lies READ IT... Corporate tax cuts are permanent, pleb tax cuts start phasing out after the first year. It adds 1.5 Trillion to deficit which means next year they come back and say we have to cut the Federal government and the Military is never on the table, as that money funds the Corporations that supply the Military Industrial Complex (Eisenhower warned us this would absolutely happen) so that leaves Federal agencies and all those cumbersome regulations.

Wake up before the next election... before it's beyond too late. It takes money... insane amounts to get elected and with unlimited Corporate money funding their candidates... the plebs soon will have no chance.

ntsb is not the vehicle to remedy these troubling occurences- the faa can develop a spine one day and change approach protocals, perhaps with positive control to touchdown at high volume airports, maybe by having all approaches be at least some category of ils activity. even air Canada can fly an instrument approach ending at a runway, and miss the taxiway if an instrument landing is mandated. eh?

wow....something to do with auto-land? and not looking out the window...i.e. flying the airplane?