
Recent aviation safety issues, including two close calls within a week at Logan International Airport, have prompted federal regulators to review safety protocols across the country. On average, there have been about four aircraft mishaps in Rhode Island per year over the past decade, with private and commercial pilots and companies required to report incidents to either the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration or the National Transportation Safety Board. Since 2013, there have been 43 accidents or incidents reported in Rhode Island, with nobody dying but at least 33 people injured. The FAA examines a broader category of aviation incidents while the NTSB looks at more severe cases. The FAA is reviewing the country’s “aerospace system’s structure, culture, processes, systems and integration of safety efforts.” FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen said that recent events remind us that we must not become complacent, and that “now is the time to stare into the data and ask hard questions.”