Private business flights, safety concerns soar

The business jet fleet in the United States has nearly doubled in the last decade

In this story: Business jets soar Less-stringent rules RELATED STORIES, SITES

From Charles Feldman
CNN Correspondent

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- As companies scramble to save on the cost of commercial travel, increasing numbers of business people are taking to the skies in corporate-owned or charter aircraft.

But amid the growth, mystery surrounding the 1999 Learjet crash that killed golfer Payne Stewart is raising questions about the overall safety of private jets.

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The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that the flight crew's incapacitation following the loss of cabin pressure probably caused the accident.

It has not figured out why depressurization occurred in the first place, because, unlike big airliners, the 25-year-old aircraft was not required to be fitted with a flight data recorder.

"We ended up with what was a very important investigation without having the information available to the board to make recommendations to prevent an event like that from occurring," former NTSB Chairman Jim Hall said.

The business jet fleet in the United States has nearly doubled in the last decade, with some 7,000 of the small jets now flying either for hire from charter companies or as part of a corporation's own aircraft fleet.

One reason for the increase is that business jet travel is no longer just for the CEO: An estimated 50 percent of passengers on business aircraft are now middle managers.

Federal regulations that govern large commercial airlines on everything from pilot training to aircraft safety systems don't always apply to the expanding business jet fleet.

"I think the board would like to see training get more attention and see an increased use of simulators on these types of aircraft," Hall said.

The safety record of business jets is apparently roughly equal to -- or even better than -- the scheduled airlines.

But more and more companies are engaging in "fractional ownership," chipping in to buy a piece of a business jet, a practice that often is cheaper than chartering an aircraft. These corporate-owned planes operate under less-stringent rules than do charter flights for hire.

Nevertheless, some point out that there is more to safety than government regulations.

"Business aviation -- the use of jet airplanes for business travel -- adopts a very stringent culture of training, or maintenance," said Jack Olcott of the National Business Aviation Association.

Families file suit over golfer Payne Stewart jet crash
October 26, 2000
Payne Stewart jet had cabin pressure trouble
September 27, 2000
Safety board proposes cockpit video cameras in planes by 2003
April 11,
Assessing the state of airline safety
November 17, 1999

National Transportation Safety Board
National Business Aviation Association
Bombardier Learjet
Payne Stewart Tribute -- PGATour.com

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