Mandatory Pilot Background Checks called for at FAA Regional Airline Safety Summit

Original Article: DBAV Background Check News

After several high profile plane crashes in recent months like the February crash in Buffalo, N.Y., and the June crash of an Airbus over the Atlantic Ocean, the FAA is now seeking changes and improved pilot training as well as more thorough background checks on all airline applicants. The FAA recently called for a meeting of all the major airline businesses in the US for a regional airline safety summit.

The catastrophic crash of a propeller plane in Buffalo New York, which caused 50 confirmed fatalities, was a wake up call for members of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The incident sparked different reactions amongst the public and from members of the FAA. The main cause of the buffalo crash was due to pilot error, and evidence shows that the crash could have been easily prevented if the pilots acted or did what they were trained to do.


The flight black box recording instead shows that the pilots did the opposite of what was supposed to be done, this in turn opened up questions of whether the pilots went through proper training and were updated with new procedures, also in question is the airline company and how they might be held responsible for negligent hiring.

Representatives of different airline businesses met in Washington DC for a regional airline safety summit to focus on finding ways to make flying safer for the public.

On top of their concerns, was the lack proper background checks on pilots, and how some companies are negligent in hiring pilots without looking through their training history and their background information. The committee also mentions the importance of verifying pilot's credentials against a thorough background check.

Airline companies were required to do complete background checks on all pilots they wish to hire including permission from the pilots for their employers to access all their training records, perform criminal background checks, and check previous experience and employer records.

It became apparent after the wake of the buffalo crash that not all airlines run extensive background checks on new hired pilots. Without going through background checks, there is a possibility that an inexperienced or improperly trained pilot can get hired and will fly commercial airplanes, risking the lives of countless passengers.

Current aviation laws states that pilots need to sign release forms to allow potential employers to perform background checks and access their training records, but the FAA wants to make these mandatory and is actually pushing to make this into law. The FAA is looking into making a recommendation for congress to expand the Pilot Records Improvement Act to allow employers access to all documents and records in a pilot's file.

The summit was organized after the recent crashed in previous months with the purpose of improving and finding new ways to improve safety.