No Big Change in Air Show Safety Rules Likely

A Federal Aviation Administration official says it’s unlikely there will be significant changes to air show and air race safety rules despite an accident in Reno last year that killed 11 people.

John McGraw, FAA’s deputy director of flight standards service, told a public hearing of the National Transportation Safety Board Tuesday that the agency is in the process of reviewing its safety regulations in response to an accident last September at air races in Nevada in which a souped-up World War II warbird crashed in front of VIP boxes, firing debris into the crowd. Besides those killed, about 70 people were injured.

McGraw said he expects there will be changes that clarify FAA’s current safety regulations, but no significant changes.