United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1994-03-17 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:RCED-94-87 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-87 P0b002ee18037f7a6 f:rc94087 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-87 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-87 RCED-94-87 Commercial aviation Air transportation operations Foreign governments Safety regulation Safety standards Airline industry Regulatory agencies Fines (penalties) Crimes or offenses International cooperation FAA Compliance and Enforcement Program Letter Report RCED In November 1992, a foreign-operated aircraft departing from Miami International Airport experienced engine failure, ditched into the Atlantic Ocean, and sank. The aircraft was overweight on takeoff, could not climb to the proper altitude, and narrowly missed high-rises in a heavily populated area before it crashed. The operator had no liability insurance on the aircraft and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) discovered that the plane did not meet international safety standards. FAA has not effectively managed its enforcement workload, and as a result, foreign governments and FAA have not acted on all safety violations that they have referred to one another. This inability to act was mainly due to the length of time FAA took to process cases, which FAA attributed to staffing shortages and other priority work. Furthermore, FAA did not follow up on foreign referrals and, consequently, could not say which governments were not acting or why. Delays in processing violations and following up have resulted in cases being closed without being investigated. FAA found deficiencies that weakened foreign countries' enforcement capabilities. Overall, 16 of the 26 countries that FAA assessed between August 1991 and September 1993 did not meet international safety standards. Deficiencies included a lack of inspectors to look into violations, no technical expertise to carry out inspection programs, and no regulations for taking enforcement actions or assessing penalties. The Transportation Department assessed 26 penalties totaling about $1.25 million against foreign carriers between 1989 and 1992. Only two of the carriers failed to pay up, and the Department revoked both carriers' operating authority. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-87/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-87.htm GAO/RCED-94-87 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-94-87 Letter Report GAO/RCED-94-87; Aviation Safety: FAA and the State Department Can Better Manage Foreign Enforcement Cases; Commercial aviation Air transportation operations Foreign governments Safety regulation Safety standards Airline industry Regulatory agencies Fines (penalties) Crimes or offenses International cooperation FAA Compliance and Enforcement Program