[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 43 (Tuesday, April 19, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                         PUBLIC USE REQUIREMENT

  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, 1 year ago today, the Governor of South 
Dakota, George Mickelson, died in a plane crash, along with seven other 
South Dakota citizens. Our State lost a great deal of leadership in 
that plane crash. They are still deeply mourned today.
  I plan to offer an amendment later today regarding the status of 
public aircraft. This amendment will impose on public use planes, 
planes used by the States and the Federal Government, the same 
regulations now applicable to all private and commercial aircraft.
  It may be surprising to some that public aircraft are exempt from 
most Federal Aviation Administration regulations. The Governor's plane 
crash was, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, 
caused by a defect in the plane's propeller hub. This defect could have 
been tested for, as was urged by the NTSB in letters sent to the FAA. 
However, had the FAA acted on the NTSB's recommendations, the State 
would have been under no legal obligation to abide by the FAA's 
regulations.
  In any event, I do not blame this tragedy on any person or on any 
agency. But I think we should be vigilant in our efforts to improve the 
safety of public aircraft.
  Later today, I shall offer an amendment to require that public 
aircraft meet the same standards. We should take all steps necessary to 
promote aviation safety.

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